Inside Stock X in Corktown, where sneakerheads verify shoe authenticity

CORKTOWN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Sometimes it's the stitching or the feel of the material. Maybe it's the laces or the treads. But one of the best ways to tell if a sneaker is a genuine model is actually the scent. 

"Smell is a big factor when it comes to verification," said Justin Mupas. 

Mupas has been a sneakerhead for 20 years. Now, he's an associate knowledge master who now uses his trained eye and love of all things shoes to spot the differences between real and fake. In the game of rare and special-release sneakers, it's one of the most important traits to have.

The first of some 50 checkpoints he may identify to verify if a sneaker is real doesn't have anything to do with the shoe.

"So the first thing I look at automatically is the box," said Mupas. "The majority of the time I can tell if it's going to pass our verification process."

Mupas works at the Stock X verification center in Detroit. The building is located in Corktown and has pinned down a significant part of the sneaker market. It's part of a larger business plan put forth by Founder and CEO Greg Schwartz.

The idea sprung from a conversation he had with Dan Gilbert, the Rocket Mortgage and Bedrock founder with a significant investment in Detroit. He said they were talking about applying stock market principles to certain consumer goods. 

And the first idea they landed on was sneakers - a product often bought and sold unused for a premium.

"Different supply and demand dynamics that work really well with our model," Schwartz said. "Sneakers are released every few days, they sell out quickly."

And in the competitive world of auction sites and shoes, he said a reputation for making sure each item on the website is authentic is what has enabled them to succeed.

"We've gotta be scrappy, we've gotta be nimble. We are so fortunate to have an incredible group of team members around the world, especially right here in Detroit," he said.

One of the busiest times for Stock X is the holiday season. The 2023 Christmastime is no different.

"We are unboxing customer units. We are then sending them to top verification experts based on their knowledge level, and we are also hand-boxing them, tape, dunnage, prioritizing them and getting them back on the truck out to their happy homes," said Lamiya Williams.

Williams is an operations manager at Stock X. 

For her, working in the shoe business in December is a little like Santa's workshop. But with less building and more verifying.

That's where Mupas and employees like him come in handy. He says he spots fakes every day. 

"And just even looking at the shoe, it takes months of training to become a verification expert," he said.

Currently, the business primarily deals with sneakers. However, Stock X is planning to expand into other collectibles and moving into the verification and sales of apparel and video games.