Cheap K-Way: Bargain or Counterfeit?

'Cheap K-Way' is one of the most frequent searches around the brand. It leads to two very different things: genuine bargains (end-of-line stock, pre-owned) and counterfeits sold as special offers. Here is how to tell the difference before you pay.

How much a genuine K-Way costs

The new Le Vrai Claude windbreaker sits in a price range that is stable from one season to the next; the Orsetto and Warm versions and the Eiffel parkas are noticeably more expensive, and the collaborations (Comme des Garçons, AMI) higher still. The brand offers few discounts on its permanent models. The practical consequence: a new Le Vrai Claude offered at a third of the official price is not a special offer, it is a warning sign.

The three real ways to pay less

1. End-of-season colourways. Bright summer shades or special colourways end up marked down at official retailers at the end of each season. The product is identical; only the colour is less in demand.

2. Authenticated pre-owned. A nylon K-Way ages well: a Le Vrai Claude worn for two seasons and washed properly is virtually identical to a new one. It is the best value for money, provided the piece has been checked.

3. The right model for the right use. Many people buy an Orsetto version for summer or an Eiffel for the city: paying for the bare windbreaker when that is what you need is already a saving. The versions are detailed in our K-Way model guide.

The signs of a counterfeit sold 'cheap'

Fake K-Ways are among the most widespread on the market: the product is simple, the logo well known, the demand huge. Three checks are generally enough.

The two-tone zip. On a genuine Le Vrai, the central zip is two-tone (one tape in each colour) with a K-Way-branded slider that runs without snagging. Copies use a plain zip or an unbranded slider.

The welds and the nylon. Authentic nylon is matt and slightly crinkly, and the panel seams are even. Fakes are shiny, sound like a 'plastic bag' and have messy seams inside the hood.

The labels. A woven neck label, a full composition label with product code, a branded swing tag on new pieces. A faded printed label or one without a code rules the piece out. All the points are detailed in our guide to recognising genuine K-Way.

The channels to avoid

General marketplaces with sellers abroad and catalogue photos, websites with names close to the brand's offering '-70% on everything', and 'new with tags' bundles at rock-bottom prices on social media. A genuine seller shows the actual piece, the zip and the labels in photos, without you having to ask twice.

What we do at NB08

Our K-Way collection is new with tags: Le Vrai 4.0 Claude Orsetto and Warm, the Eiffel East parka, Samson jackets, the Comme des Garçons collaboration. When a pre-owned piece comes into stock, it is authenticated before it goes on sale and the original retail price is displayed next to ours, so that the 'bargain' can be verified at a glance rather than taken on trust.

In summary

• K-Way rarely discounts its permanent models: a rock-bottom price on a new piece is suspect
• Real bargains: end-of-line colourways, authenticated pre-owned, the right model for the right use
• Three checks: two-tone zip, nylon and welds, labels with a code
• Always insist on photos of the actual piece