Reasons Why Indonesian Consumers Buy Counterfeit Sneakers

According to a Kompas Research and Development survey, 53.7% of Indonesian respondents have purchased counterfeit sneakers, with 35.3% intentionally buying them and 18.4% unintentionally or due to deception.

Sneakers are a type of lightweight athletic shoe with a casual appearance, also suitable for everyday use.

Among those who bought counterfeit sneakers, the majority (40.5%) were attracted by the low price. Another 10.3% were unaware that the product they purchased was a counterfeit.

"This phenomenon shows that the desire to sport sneakers doesn't always mean choosing authentic ones. Counterfeit products often serve as a shortcut," wrote Kompas Research and Development in its report on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.

Other reasons for purchasing counterfeit sneakers included: similar design to the original product (6.5%), current trend (1.7%), influence of friends (1.2%), need or desire to try (1.2%), difficulty obtaining authentic ones (1%), and comfort (0.3%).

On the other hand, only 37.3% of respondents had never purchased counterfeit sneakers.

This survey involved 512 respondents from 64 cities across 38 provinces, selected randomly according to the population proportion in each province.

Data collection was conducted from July 14-17, 2025, through telephone interviews. The survey's margin of error is approximately 4.25% with a 95% confidence level, under conditions of simple random sampling.