While in a mall famous for its imitation items yesterday, I heard someone tell his companion “Once you put those (shoes) on, nobody will notice it’s not original”.

I can no longer count how many times I’ve heard this kind of remark before.

True, with the quality of the imitations nowadays, and since nobody will actually scrutinize them while you’re wearing them, nobody will notice it’s not original.

But ‘looks’ is not the only reason for buying shoes. And for the kind of shoes I was looking at – sports shoes – aside from the ‘wear and tear’ definition of quality, there’s also the shoes’ performance.

I admit that I know almost nothing with regards to the technology used in sports shoes. What I do know though is that it’s more than just the looks. The technology in these shoes actually helps an athlete perform better and/or reduce the risk of injury. This is what the imitation items can’t copy, or at least not yet.

—

This applies to other things as well, including those which cannot be found in that mall.

—

I ended up buying a pair of basketball shoes. The original costs around $180, I got mine for less than $32. I won’t claim they’re close to originals though, and I don’t plan to use them in a game.

Instead, they’re sneakers I can use when going out – not as sturdy and comfortable as the originals, but just like the other shoes I can buy for $30.

Oh, except they look a lot more expensive than they actually are.