Innovative scan app as a means to overcome counterfeit in the sneaker market

Abstract

We can see more and more young people with pairs of sneakers. This market has become global very quickly. In recent years, thanks to social networks or online sales giants, many counterfeit sneakers have emerged. Knowing how to differentiate fake sneakers from legit ones is now complicated and requires a high level of expertise to differentiate the real from the fake. This rise of the streetwear industry can also be an opportunity to rethink the sneaker market through an innovative application. To help consumers improve their expertise on the origin of pairs of sneakers, a tool would be interesting. The objective of this empirical study is to investigate how interested Generation Z would be in a scan application that would facilitate expertise in identifying the authenticity of sneakers. The research approach of this study is a deductive approach with mixed methods. The qualitative and quantitative data that we will use were collected through the Jaxber application via a survey. The panel of responses consisted of 32 young people from generation Z. The responses to the survey were generally positive and the participants were quite interested in the presentation of our app-idea. They also expressed their willingness to adopt this style of app to support innovation in sneakers. The app was welcomed as an innovative app idea that would allow sneaker fans to gain expertise through this authenticity detection tool. Further research on this topic could be conducted by deepening, diversifying, and broadening the panel of Generation Z individuals. This would potentially allow us to understand what might motivate users of this application to overcome the problems of the fake sneaker industry.