Are you looking to buy your favorite team’s soccer jerseys but wonder whether they are fake or real? I understand your feelings. There are many fake jerseys out there that look authentic, and absolutely hard to tell the difference at first sight.
You have to know what to look for when jersey shopping to make sure you get your money’s worth.
I understand how frustrating it can be when you buy a jersey, say off of eBay and realize it is fake or knock-off, but the seller claims it is authentic. Believe me, there are lots of counterfeit jersey manufacturers in the sports gear industry. Many of them shipped from Asia.
This article will show you how to spot and differentiate a fake jersey from a real licensed product. You will also learn how to tell between an authentic and a replica or stadium jersey for the real jerseys. This enhances your knowledge of jerseys in particular, and sport wears in general.
I will thoroughly expand on features like price, quality, fit, branding, batching, stitching, tags, color, and more. To ensure that you fully understand the difference (with the use of images) and NEVER get frustrated with any jersey purchase in the future.
Are you excited yet? Ok! Let’s get started.
Definition of Authentic, Fake, and Replica Soccer Jerseys
Let’s start by defining these terms so that you will know what they mean when we use them subsequently in this article.
Authentic Soccer Jerseys
Authentic jerseys are referred to as player style issued jerseys that are designed form-fitted to stay tight on players. This reduces the chances for opponents to grab on when playing on the soccer field. In other words, they are jerseys players use in games with designs especially suited for that purpose, which I will tell you in a minute. So read on.
Additionally, they are the original products licensed to the club that owns its right.
Replica Soccer Jerseys
The word “replica” in this term may sometimes be misleading. But, don’t be fooled by the name because they are neither fake nor counterfeit.
Replica Jerseys are the mass-market version designed by the official kit supplier for club fans to wear off-pitch. Meaning that they are original licensed products of the team or club. They are designed with extra room on the mid-section and shoulders to accommodate different body shapes to give a comfortable and relaxed fit.
Fake Soccer Jerseys
Fake Jerseys are counterfeits manufactured outside the official kit supplier. They are not licensed products, but their manufacturers put fake tags on them to make them look genuine.
This is to trick people who do not know into buying fake jerseys, which is the main reason I intend to teach you so that you avoid unintentional reap off. Also, they are cheaply made and often of inferior or poor quality when compared to authentic and replicas.
Now let’s explore some of the features to consider when shopping for soccer jerseys.
Factors to consider before purchasing Soccer Jerseys
Size of Soccer Jerseys
One of the essential factors to consider would be the size of the jersey you’re buying. Soccer jerseys come in different sizes for men, women, and even children. So, soccer lovers must buy a size that would be comfortable and provide an excellent fit.
For example, if you’re buying for a child, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go for a size that will provide sufficient room for growth. If it’s for your local soccer team, purchasing jerseys that will suit other players who may need the same size is a good idea.
Quality of Soccer Jerseys
Before purchasing any soccer jersey, it’s essential to consider the quality it features. In essence, what I mean is if the material is made from print, plain, or stitched. That’s not all; by quality, I also mean if the jersey is authentic, replica, or fake.
Therefore, the quality you will settle for often depends on your budget and its intended use. For instance, if you’re buying a few soccer jerseys for your training session, paying for a lower quality wouldn’t be a bad idea.
But suppose you’re going for soccer games in stadiums as a soccer fan. In that case, you may want to get a stadium jersey or the replica version of your club’s licensed jersey or an authentic jersey (which is not the cheapest).
Breathability
Soccer jerseys are made from different types of materials. Most of them, especially authentic, features breathability to ensure the player’s performance irrespective of the weather condition. For example, the jersey can be designed with tiny holes to improve airflow in the summer seasons. So, if you’re from a cold or hot region, you’ll have to look out for these features as it goes a long way to ensure your comfort.
Color
Color is one of the subjective features depending on your style and personal favorite. If you want your favorite club’s jersey, consider the microfiber material that usually absorbs vibrant colors.
Protective Features on Soccer Jerseys
While your comfort is essential, your safety is ultimately non-negotiable. This feature is vital, especially when you’re buying jerseys for your soccer training, on-field play, or local team. Find some of the best soccer brands like Adidas, Puma, Nike, and so on, to help you choose the best brands for your soccer equipment here.
Minor injuries can be very frustrating. That is why the best soccer jerseys feature strategically placed ergonomic pads. The essence of these pads is to help protect against cuts, bruises, impacts, and even discoloration without affecting your movement in any way. You wouldn’t even remember they’re there.
Having learned the best features to look out for in jerseys, let us now look at how to distinguish these features on the fake, replica, and authentic jerseys.
How to Spot a Fake vs. a Replica Soccer Jerseys.
There are so many fake jerseys online, making it difficult for soccer fans to point out the real from the fakes. But all that confusion will be put to an end today after you learn the tips on identifying a real from a fake jersey.
The Prices of Soccer jerseys
Price is one of the most prominent features that will help you quickly identify a fake soccer jersey. If the price is too good to be true, it probably is fake. Suppose a jersey sells for less than $30. In that case, there is a good chance that the supplier deals with counterfeits (fakes) and not original (authentic or replica).
The fact is that the latest club jerseys will never be sold that cheap until the full season ends or when there are HUGE sales on the club shop, which usually is never the case. Clubs launch their official jerseys usually at prices ranging from $50 to $100 for the replicas. The authentic ones are a little pricey than the replicas in upwards of $100.
Another way to arouse your curiosity on if a jersey is fake or real is if different teams’ jerseys are listed at the same price. Or almost the same prices on that online store.
Size
The size of a jersey is another straightforward way to pinpoint a fake. Size inconsistency will help you distinguish a real from a fake. You probably must have heard people say you have to buy clothing two sizes up when shopping an Asian website. Jerseys are not any different. If you find a jersey tag sized at XXL but looks like the US large or medium, chances are they are fake.
Licensed jerseys are carefully sized according to the size charts used in the area or country hosting the club. Fake jersey manufacturers don’t pay attention to all those details even though they try to replicate the real copies of jerseys.
Stitching
Poor stitching is one very significant downside of fake jerseys, making them relatively easy to spot. Fake soccer jerseys are always poorly woven with many loose ends because they don’t have a skilled workforce. Also, they don’t have the technology to do transferred heat stitches like the authentic version.
In fake products, the stitching’s low quality is seen at the back of the neck, team crest, logos, and icons. If the stitching is of low quality and woven, the jersey is most likely fake.
Badges
The logos and embroideries are other things to look out for when identifying a fake product.
Fake soccer jerseys always make several discrepancies because they still want to cut down production costs. A good way to spot this is to compare the jersey logo with the official team logo for any clear differences. The badges of counterfeits are always poorly woven and are never heat transferred like the real version.
Material
The material with which fake jerseys are designed is always inferior. In most cases, they look and feel cheap. The materials used for authentic jerseys are lightweight and stretchy to offer breathability and comfort.
These five key factors are the tips in differentiating a real jersey from a fake. A fake version will always have some, if not all, of these discrepancies discussed above because their manufacturers do not value quality and are always looking for ways to cut production costs.
Authentic Vs Replica Soccer Jerseys
There are four key areas used to differentiate between authentic and replica jersey. These are the fabric, fit, application(logo and embroidery), and price.
Fabric
A crucial component of any jersey is the fabric that it features. The material almost always points down to breathability, which helps to expel sweat from the body, thus ensuring comfort and performance.
The fabrics of authentic jerseys are designed with 100% polyester double knit, making them breathable and stretchy. It will allow players to remain dry on the pitch, regardless of how much they sweat. On the other hand, replica fabrics are 52% polyester, 48% recycled polyester double knit. They will still be breathable and lightweight but wouldn’t offer much ventilation or stretch. In a nutshell, authentic jersey fabric is more breathable and dries quicker than a replica.
Fit
Fit is another way to tell the difference between an authentic jersey from its replica version. Let’s face it. If you’re like most soccer fans looking for a relaxed, regular, and casual fit, then the replica version is your best bet. On the flip side, if you have an athletic body and looking for a jersey with a more athletic fit, then authentic would be an ideal choice.
Authentic Jerseys are tighter and form-fitted with curved hem shapes to maximize performance and improve movement. In contrast, the replica versions offer a more relaxed and standard fit with some spaces on the shoulder and mid-section to accommodate various body shapes.
Application (Logo and Embroidery)
Authentic jerseys’ logos and emblems are always heat transferred, which makes them lighter and more relaxed. On the other hand, the replica versions have the logos and emblems woven and not heat transferred or heat pressed to the jerseys. The idea behind heat pressing logos is to reduce the weight of the jersey.
Authentic jerseys usually carry sleeve patches unique to the soccer league put on every teams’ jerseys. in that soccer league. For instance, the English premier has a “premier league” patch affixed to the right sleeves of every match jersey in the league.
Price
Indeed, in life, if you want better, you’ve got to pay more! The quality and extra tech featured in authentic jerseys usually cost a few more extra dollars. However, it all depends on you, as the price isn’t for everyone, because that’s precisely the reason replica jerseys exist in the first place.
Authentic versions are always highly-priced. The replicas are a bit budget-friendly compared to the cheap fake ones with inferior quality. If an authentic version costs $185, you’re likely to get the replica around $115.
So, when buying soccer jerseys and you want to check if it’s an authentic or replica version, you have to pay close attention to the fit, fabric, application, and price of that jersey.
Now to clarify some of the doubts you may have:
Does replica jersey mean fake?
The word “replica” here is often confused for fake, which is incorrect. Replica jerseys mean the fan version of the jersey, designed by an official kit supplier for club fans. A replica’s quality is close to that of the authentic version, which is made player fitted.
What is a Stadium jersey?
Stadium jerseys are the replica of the match designed jerseys worn by players on the pitch. A few differences are seen in quality. The authentic match fitted jerseys are designed with AeroSwift and Dri-Fit tech. In contrast, the stadium jerseys (replicas) feature only a Dri-Fit experience.
The stadium jerseys are not form-fitted either, so fans of different body shapes and sizes can comfortably wear them.
What is a vapor match jersey?
The Vapor Match Jersey, commonly referred to as authentic, is the design that professional players wear on the field. Its fabric is made breathable and stretchy to ensure easy mobility and quick dry for peak performance.
Conclusion
I have provided in-depth insight on all you need to know about soccer jerseys so that you’ll know what exactly you’re paying for on your next purchase. You had the chance to learn about the three categories of soccer jerseys to choose from – Authentic, replica, and fake.
The type you go for entirely depends on your budget, purpose, and quality you want. Authentic soccer jerseys are the player’s version type crafted for athletes, designed with premium quality, making them highly-priced.
On the flipside, replicas are the official kits designed for fans who are not full-time athletes, with a quality close to 60% of the authentic version. Making them more budget-friendly than authentic jerseys.
At the bottom is fake soccer jerseys that are poor quality and sell at very low prices than replicas.
Therefore, if you want to save a couple of dollars like most soccer enthusiasts and still get quality, my recommended choice is a replica soccer jersey. This is because most of us out there are fans with different body shapes and sizes.
Nevertheless, the power of choice is entirely yours, and with this guide, you’ve got all the tips you need in making an excellent choice for yourself.
