How to Tell If a Bape Shark Hoodie is Real or Fake

When it comes to spotting a fake Bape hoodie, there are a few key things to look for. You can check the gold tag, the composition of the shark face, and other elements of the hoodie. Some fakes look good on the surface, but when you take a closer look, they turn out to be rip-offs. In this article, we will explain what to look for when checking whether a Bape hoodie is real or fake so you get your hands on the real deal, what to do if you do buy a fake, how to have a professional authenticate your hoodie, and more.

5 Signs a Bape Hoodie Is Fake

Bold and miscolored lettering on the packaging.^{[1]
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Chance Dubinick
Sneaker Authentication Expert & Digital Creator

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The gold tag is too shiny, the texture is rough, and the branding is misplaced.^{[2]
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Chance Dubinick
Sneaker Authentication Expert & Digital Creator

Expert Interview}
The lettering on the neck tag is misspaced, especially around the “t” and the “h.”
The eyes of the shark face are misaligned and too close or far apart
The zipper is long, narrow, and has a hard time zipping up the jacket.

Section 1 of 7:

How to Check if a Bape Hoodie is Fake or Real

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1
Neck tag The neck tag is one of the key identifiers of authenticity for your Bape hoodie as long as you know what you’re looking for. On authentic hoodies, the lettering on the neck tag is evenly spaced, uniform, and spelled correctly. On inauthentic hoodies, the lettering tends to be sloppily placed and, in some cases, misspelled.^{[3]
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Chance Dubinick
Sneaker Authentication Expert & Digital Creator

Expert Interview} The ape’s face should also be beige.^{[4]
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- Signs It’s Real: Uniform, evenly-spaced lettering. Beige-colored ape.
- Signs It’s Fake: Misspaced lettering, especially around the “t” and the “h” of “A Bathing Ape” and the trademark symbol (™). Miscolored ape.^{[5]
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  Chance Dubinick
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Wash tag Wash tags on authentic Bape hoodies tend to be securely stitched on the inside fabric, while fake hoodies feature loose, inaccurate stitching. Fake hoodies also tend to feature faded, misspaced lettering on the wash tag, specifically around the “LTD” lettering.^{[6]
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Chance Dubinick
Sneaker Authentication Expert & Digital Creator

Expert Interview} Fake wash tags may also feature a placeholder serial number, so look up the serial number on your product and consult images of fake Bape hoodies to see if it’s been used by fake manufacturers in the past.^{[7]
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- Signs It’s Real: Strong, uniform stitching, bold lettering that’s uniformly spaced.
- Signs It’s Fake: Bunched lettering, especially around “LTD,” loose stitching, and faded lettering.
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Sleeve tag The sleeve tag on authentic Bape hoodies is crisp and securely attached. It is also made of a silky material. On fake models, the edges tend to be frayed, feature sloppy stitching, have a rough texture, and have misplaced branding.^{[8]
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Chance Dubinick
Sneaker Authentication Expert & Digital Creator

Expert Interview} The ape also tends to be miscolored and placed too low on the tag. Make sure to check the stitching on the inside of the cuff, too, as it tends to be poor.^{[9]
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- Signs It’s Real: Silky texture, clean and secure stitching, and properly placed branding.
- Signs It’s Fake: Rough texture, poor and loose stitching, a trademark symbol (“™”) that folds over the cuff.
- CEO of WyCo Vintage Patrick Klima says that because counterfeit manufacturers don’t have access to the original company’s art files and are trying to replicate items cheaply, counterfeit graphics are typically less sharp and clear than the original artwork.^{[10]
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  Patrick Klima
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Gold tag Every Bape product features a gold tag, so manufacturers frequently try to fake it. Authentic gold Bape tags are flat and feature a grainy texture. While the texture on authentic gold Bape tags is flat and grainy, the texture on fake Bape tags tends to be thick and rough. Another sign of fake gold tags is an incorrect color and location of the trademark symbol (™) and logo. Fake gold tags have heads that are too close to the bottom, a shinier color, and a misplaced trademark symbol.^{[11]
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- Signs It’s Real: Flat, grainy ape head that’s the proper shade of gold and close to the bottom of the tag.
- Signs It’s Fake: Thick, miscolored ape head and misplaced trademark symbol (™).
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Zipper Real and fake Bape hoodies use YKK zippers since they’re one of the most popular zipper brands in the world, but there are a few telltale signs that help discern real Bape zippers from fake ones. For starters, authentic zippers tend to smoothly connect, come in a wide, stocky shape, and feature a small 5 on their backside, while fake zippers tend to jam and come in a slimmer, longer shape.
- Signs It’s Real: It’s wide and bulky, features “5” and “YKK”, and smoothly slides up and down the zipper tape.
- Signs It’s Fake: It’s long and slim, lacks the “5,” and has a hard time actually zipping.
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Shark face The eye placement and mouth composition are different on fake models than they are on authentic models. On authentic models, the eyes are about an inch away from the zipper, the teeth should run all the way down the bottom of the mouth, the top of the tongue shouldn’t touch the teeth, and the eyes should be aligned.^{[12]
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- Signs It’s Real: Properly placed and aligned eyes that are an inch away from the zipper.
- Signs It’s Fake: Misaligned eyes that are less or more than an inch away from the zipper and improperly sized.
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WGM Lettering The WGM lettering’s placement is a strong indicator of authenticity. The lettering on fake hoodies is typically misplaced and unevenly spaced. Fake hoodies also tend to use the wrong type of fabric for the WGM lettering, which results in a less cohesive look. The stitching and underfabric are also straight and uniform on authentic models, so look for bumpy fabric and loose stitching if you suspect your product is fake.^{[13]
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- Signs It’s Real: Evenly spaced lettering with vibrant, properly-colored fabric.
- Signs It’s Fake: Cheap-looking felt fabric, uneven and misplaced lettering, and bumpy placement of the fabric underneath the lettering.
- WGM stands for “world gone mad,” which is a popular Bape slogan.
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Packaging The ziplock bag that holds authentic Bape hoodies is plastic and features Bape branding along with the quote “APE SHALL NEVER KILL APE,” both of which are in a narrow font. Bape hoodies tend to come with extra tags that are a light shade of camo, as well. Fake hoodies try to replicate these features, but they often use darker shades and bolder fonts.
- Signs It’s Real: Slim, narrow branding, light camo-colored tags.
- Signs It’s Fake: Thick, bold branding, improperly colored tags.

Section 2 of 7:

How to Have a Professional Authenticate a Bape Hoodie

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Submit a request to a professional authenticator, like Poizon or Mercari. Brands like Bape take strong measures to ensure the authenticity of their products, many of which are kept secret to prevent counterfeiters from improving the quality of their fakes. However, many professional authenticators are aware of the trade secrets of authenticity. So, when the standard methods aren’t working, submit photos of your Bape hoodie to an authenticator like Poizon or Mercari. They will typically have a verdict within 48 hours.^{[14]
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- Mercari charges a flat rate of $5 per designer item. They also offer a $10 certificate of authenticity.^{[15]
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Section 3 of 7:

What to Do if Your Bape Hoodie is Fake

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Check the refund policy, contact the seller, and try to get a refund. Depending on where you bought your Bape hoodie from, the seller may be willing to provide a refund if it turns out to be fake. If you bought it from a store, check their refund policy for return deadlines, customer service numbers, and other important information, then reach out to them to start the authentication and return process.^{[16]
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- If you bought the hoodie off of an online marketplace like eBay or Facebook Marketplace, check their return policies to see what steps you need to take to get a refund.
- In the UK, you have a legal right to a refund if you bought a fake or counterfeit product.^{[17]
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Section 4 of 7:

Where is Bape made?

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When Bape was founded by Nigo in 1993, their products were mostly made in Japan. As the company grew, products were outsourced to Chinese manufacturers, who have since made a majority of their products. As of 2025, though, Bape does have products that are still produced in Japan.^{[18]
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Section 5 of 7:

Why is Bape so expensive?

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The limited quantity and high demand are what make Bape products so expensive. While Bape does use durable materials for their products, they aren’t necessarily expensive. However, Bape produces its products in limited quantities to preserve exclusivity. Together, these factors contribute to their high prices, thanks to the limited supply, durable materials, and strong demand.
- Bape’s popularity can be attributed to artists like Pharrell Williams and Lil Wayne, who consistently wore Bape in the 2000s.

Section 6 of 7:

What is Bape made of?

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Bape T-shirts are typically 100% cotton and Bape hoodies are typically an 80/20 cotton & polyester blend. When Bape was first founded, heavy 100% cotton blanks were used to create their T-shirts.

Section 7 of 7:

Final Takeaways

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When authenticating your Bape hoodie, study key features like the neck tag and branding.^{[19]
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Chance Dubinick
Sneaker Authentication Expert & Digital Creator

Expert Interview} Bape hoodies are commonly faked, but if you observe the neck tag, wash tag, sleeve tag, and other key areas for things like sloppy stitching, improper brand placement, and miscoloring, you can spot a fake before you spend your money on it. When personal authentication doesn’t work, reach out to a professional. If you do end up buying a fake, contact the seller to start the return process.
- Remember to check the seller’s refund policy before inquiring about a return. If you’re in the UK, you are legally entitled to a refund.