How To Tell a Real Manolo Blahnik from a Fake Manolo Blahnik

Oct. 1, 2009 - PRLog -- Manolo Blahniks are high-end shoes designed by (and named after) the fashion designer Manolo Blahnik. Blahnik had a Czech father, Spanish mother and was raised in the Canary Islands. His first Manolo Blahnik workshop and store were located on Old Church Street, Chelsea London. Manolo Blahnik now has stores located in New York, Las Vegas, Dublin, Madrid, Istanbul, Dubai, Hong Kong, Seoul and Singapore. Manolo Blahnik designer shoes are said to be one of the brands recently affected by the growing rise of websites selling fake designer shoes. If you are considering purchasing a pair of Manolo Blahniks online, and especially if these shoes are sold at a discounted rate, check out the criteria below in order to make sure your Manolo Blahniks are authentic.

1.   Leather Sole and Lining.  All Manolo Blahnik shoes are made with genuine leather soles and linings.  No exceptions.  If the sole does not appear to be leather, or if you ask the salesperson whether the sole is leather and he says no, you may be about to purchase a fake.

2.   No Embossed Serial Numbers.  Unlike other shoe brands, Manolo Blahnik shoes do not have embossed serial numbers.  If you see an embossed serial number on any part of the shoe, then the shoe is not a true Manolo Blahnik.

3.   Check the label.  Manolo Blahnik labels are placed on the insole of the shoe.  A genuine Manolo Blahnik shoe’s label will not be smudged.  It should be well aligned.  Make sure that the brand name is spelled correctly!  (That’s Manolo Blahnik).  The name of the brand is never abbreviated.  There should be no pictures or other symbols accompanying the brand, just the name.  Most of the brand’s labels are printed in caps lock.  Shoes from the “My Favorites” collection may sport a label with Mr. Blahnik’s signature, although these signature labels are rare.    

4.   Check the dust bag and box.  Authentic Manolo Blahnik shoes come in white boxes with black lettering.  The dust bags are also white and black.  

5.   Double check for quality.  If you see traces of glue or bad stitching, then chances are your new shoes are not actually Manolo Blahniks.  (It is fairly common for knock-off shoes to be assembled with glue as opposed to being stitched together; traces of glue should be regarded suspiciously.)  The quality of the shoes should be first rate, and the vendor should take any complaints regarding the quality of the shoes seriously.