Guides · Luxury Shoes
How to Tell if Common Projects Are Real or Fake (2026)
Common Projects carries almost no decoration – the whole brand rests on material quality and a single identifying detail: the gold-stamped numbers on the heel. That’s exactly where replicas trip up most often, but it’s also easy to wrongly fail a genuine pair on it if you don’t know the stamp wears down with use. Here’s what to check first.
Real vs fake Common Projects: comparison table
Data current as of July 2026. Replicas evolve, so judge by the combination of signs – never a single one.
| Sign | Authentic | Fake |
|---|---|---|
| Stamp straightness and depth | The stamped line is straight, the characters an even height and stroke weight, the impression deep and consistent along its whole length, with clean edges. | The line wanders in height, characters vary in thickness, the impression is shallow and uneven, and in places barely legible. |
| Gold cleanliness | The gold sits evenly with no doubling of the characters and no pressed-in halo around the letters; it doesn’t flake at the edges. | Gold applied over a blurry impression, doubled characters, a visible pressed-in halo around the letters, and a coating that flakes off. |
| Stamp wear | On a used pair the stamp can look faded or partially worn – that is a normal result of wear. | A brand-new, unworn pair with a stamp that already looks flaked or crookedly applied – wear is not an excuse here. |
| Smooth leather quality | The leather is even in texture, free of bubbling or bald patches, with cleanly finished cut edges and panels of matching tone. | A cheap plastic sheen, bubbling or bald patches on the leather, a color mismatch between panels, and fraying, unfinished cut edges. |
| Stitching and pair symmetry | The stitching is straight with a consistent stitch length and no skips; the left and right shoe match in seam placement and last fit. | The stitching wanders or skips stitches, and the left and right shoe visibly differ in fit and panel placement. |
| Sole gluing | The sole is cleanly glued around the whole perimeter with no squeeze-out, and the seam where it meets the upper is straight and symmetrical. | Glue squeezes out along the sole edge, and the seam is crooked or a different width between the left and right shoe. |
The difference is in the details – drag the slider
Typical differences in workmanship: stitching consistency, edge finishing, detail quality. Left – factory quality, right – common replica flaws.
Replica 
Authentic 1. Stamp straightness and depth
Authentic: The stamped line is straight, the characters an even height and stroke weight, the impression deep and consistent along its whole length, with clean edges.
Fake: The line wanders in height, characters vary in thickness, the impression is shallow and uneven, and in places barely legible.
2. Gold cleanliness
Authentic: The gold sits evenly with no doubling of the characters and no pressed-in halo around the letters; it doesn’t flake at the edges.
Fake: Gold applied over a blurry impression, doubled characters, a visible pressed-in halo around the letters, and a coating that flakes off.
3. Stamp wear
Authentic: On a used pair the stamp can look faded or partially worn – that is a normal result of wear.
Fake: A brand-new, unworn pair with a stamp that already looks flaked or crookedly applied – wear is not an excuse here.
4. Smooth leather quality
Authentic: The leather is even in texture, free of bubbling or bald patches, with cleanly finished cut edges and panels of matching tone.
Fake: A cheap plastic sheen, bubbling or bald patches on the leather, a color mismatch between panels, and fraying, unfinished cut edges.
5. Stitching and pair symmetry
Authentic: The stitching is straight with a consistent stitch length and no skips; the left and right shoe match in seam placement and last fit.
Fake: The stitching wanders or skips stitches, and the left and right shoe visibly differ in fit and panel placement.
6. Sole gluing
Authentic: The sole is cleanly glued around the whole perimeter with no squeeze-out, and the seam where it meets the upper is straight and symmetrical.
Fake: Glue squeezes out along the sole edge, and the seam is crooked or a different width between the left and right shoe.
Popular Common Projects models
Model-by-model checks – what to look at on each:
Where to inspect
The key zones to photograph and check on this type of item – a schematic, not a product photo.
- 1Insole branding
- 2Heel and tip
- 3Toe and profile
- 4Heel counter
- 5Stitching and sole
How to photograph your Common Projects for a check
Shoot in daylight, avoid glare, keep focus sharp. You need 5 angles:
- 1 Close-up of the heel with the gold stamp
- 2 Sole profile from the side
- 3 Full pair from above
- 4 Insole with the marking
- 5 Close-up of the upper stitching
How to read the result
The AI returns a verdict with a confidence score:
- 75–100% – Authentic: high confidence the item is genuine.
- 60–74% – Likely authentic: probably genuine with minor concerns.
- 40–59% – Uncertain: the photos are not conclusive – retake or add angles.
- 25–39% – Likely fake: several red flags.
- 0–24% – Fake: clear signs of a replica.
Check your Common Projects right now
Snap photos of your item and get an AI verdict with a confidence score in about a minute.
FAQ
The gold heel stamp has worn off – is that a fake?
No. The stamp wears down with use, and faded or partially worn gold on a used pair is normal wear. Judge what survives – the evenness of the line and the depth of the characters – not the fact that it has faded.
Can authenticity be verified online using the heel numbers?
No, there is no public database to check these digits against. The error can go either way: a replica’s numbers may look valid while a genuine pair’s may be worn away with time. Judge the quality of the application, not the digits themselves.
The insole doesn’t say Italy – is that a definite fake?
Not by itself. The brand’s footwear is typically Italian-made, but the country wording is one of the first things replicas copy, so a single word isn’t enough to decide – the font and cleanliness of the whole marking matter more.
Should different models (Achilles, BBall, Retro, Tournament) have the same sole?
No. Each silhouette has its own sole and heel construction: the BBall, Retro, and Tournament are built differently from the base Achilles. Comparing them directly on the same geometry isn’t valid – judge how cleanly that specific model’s construction is executed.