A comparison question about Rick Owens. Geobaskets and Ramones come up in lots of QC threads, but almost always with the same question: “I know they’re not 1:1, is there any flaw that gives them away completely?”. And there are many versions: leather Geobaskets, canvas Ramones, leather ones, pony hair ones, high and low. How do the versions compare with each other?
The first thing is to separate the two models, because they fail on different things:
- Geobasket: a high-top leather sneaker, with big panels and a very tall tongue. Almost everything comes down to the leather and the shape of the panels.
- Ramones: canvas or leather, with a big rubber toe cap and a thick sole. It comes down to the toe cap, the sole and the material of the upper.
Comparing a Geobasket with a Ramones doesn’t work. You have to compare versions of the same model and the same material.
On the Ramones, the toe cap is what you see first. One buyer’s complaint sums it up well: toe cap too shiny. On retail, the rubber on the toe cap is matte or satin. A toe cap that shines like plastic shows from far away, more than any label. Ask for a profile photo in daylight.
And the material? I saw a thread where someone ordered canvas and got something else.
Yes, the same buyer: they chose canvas and got a denim-style print. They said other QCs from the same store showed the same problem in those weeks. That teaches two things. First, with a version that “has a reputation” as the best, quality can change from one run to the next. Second, in QC you have to check the material you ordered, not just the shape. How batch names work is in batch names explained.
On the Geobaskets, the leather rules. The old versions had a bad reputation: even the threads back then said Rick Owens are hard to replicate. Today there are more options, but the criterion is the same: leather with grain and drape, not stiff and shiny. Look at the panels too: the edges have to be clean and the panels well aligned between the two shoes.
A detail people forget: on a collaboration with a lot of detail, one buyer commented that “only the eyelets were missing”. On special versions, compare every detail with photos of the retail pair of the same model, because that’s where replicas simplify. And for reading QC photos in general, there’s first time reading QC photos.
On the pony hair versions: the hair looks very different depending on the light, and in QC photos it almost always looks shinier. Compare the direction of the hair and the evenness of the colour across the two shoes, not the shine. And on sizing, an old comment said they seemed to run a size big. Check the insole measurements before ordering.
To compare with other chunky designer sneakers, the Balenciaga Triple S and Track thread has the same underlying problem: shape, weight and materials matter more than the logo.
How to compare Geobasket and Ramones versions:
- Compare the same model and the same material: Geobasket with Geobasket, canvas Ramones with canvas Ramones.
- Ramones, toe cap: matte or satin, not shiny. Profile photo in daylight.
- Ramones, material: check it’s the one you ordered (canvas, leather, denim, pony hair).
- Geobasket, leather and panels: leather with grain and drape; clean edges; panels aligned between the two shoes.
- Pony hair: direction of the hair and even colour, not the shine.
- Special versions: compare every detail (eyelets included) with retail of the same model.
- Reputation doesn’t guarantee the run: judge the pair they’re going to send you.
Very clear. A profile photo of the toe cap, and check the material before giving the green light.