U.S. Customs seizes Ferragamo counterfeit shoes

Los Angeles - It seems that the counterfeit business in fashion is still a problem of concern for the industry. Recently, custom agents seized counterfeit designer shoes at the Los Angeles and Long Beach seaport complex.

According to NBC Los Angeles, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents were able to identify and find the shoes before they were passed along. The 2,800 pairs of shoes were modeled after designer Salvatore Ferragamo and deemed as fakes. Ferragamo’s goods are known as luxury Italian footwear with ready-to-wear for both men and women. Although the shoes were counterfeit, if the shoes were genuine they would have totaled over 4 million dollars. The estimated retail value of the shoes was estimated to be approximately 4.3 million dollars by authorities, according to the news source.

The shipments were from two separate packages where the 7,800 pairs were split. Since the custom borders agents were able to find the shipments and deem the products as fraud, it has saved the fashion industry from losing a massive amount of revenue. “These seizures demonstrate the high level of skill and vigilance of our officers in protecting the intellectual property rights of companies and individuals, as well as preventing the proliferation of counterfeit luxury footwear, potentially damaging our national economy,” Sergio Espinoza, CBP’s acting port director of the seaport, told NBC. Ultimately, the seizure helped halt the use and seeling of counterfeit designer products.