Overview
Verify Kicks is an AI-powered sneaker authentication app that helps buyers instantly confirm whether their sneakers are real or fake.
I led the product vision, strategy, and user validation process - working with AI engineers who built and trained the computer-vision model.
Our goal was simple: make sneaker authentication fast, trustworthy, and accessible for everyday buyers who shop through online resellers or marketplaces.
Problem & Insight
Counterfeit sneakers are everywhere. Sneaker fans often lose money and confidence when they unknowingly buy fake pairs online. Manual authentication services exist, but they're slow, expensive, and not scalable.
During user research, I found three consistent pain points:
- Trust issues – buyers couldn't be sure their sneakers were real.
- Manual verification – experts took days to respond.
- Financial risk – people lost hundreds on fakes.
I validated these insights through 15 interviews with sneaker enthusiasts and resellers. 80% of respondents said they'd use an app for quick authentication, and two sneaker influencers offered to promote it.
Solution & Process
We designed a simple three-step experience:
Scan → Verify → Trust.
Users upload multi-angle photos of their sneakers, and within minutes, they receive a result showing whether the pair is authentic — along with a confidence score and heat-map visualization.
I defined the product flow, prioritized features, and collaborated with engineers to translate sneaker-specific details into technical requirements. Our AI team used YOLOv12 for image detection, built the FastAPI backend, and deployed the system on AWS S3 and MongoDB.
From a product standpoint, my focus was on:
- Creating a frictionless upload-and-check experience.
- Building user trust through transparent results.
- Introducing tiered pricing based on urgency - Saver (24 hrs), Flex (12 hrs), and Anytime (instant).
This balance of simplicity, transparency, and speed made Verify Kicks feel both credible and useful.
Results & Opportunity
Our validation results were strong:
- 80% willingness to use the app
- 70 NPS score, showing high satisfaction
- 2 influencers ready to promote the product
We estimated a $9B global market for sneaker authentication, with a realistic $15M obtainable segment in the first few years.
The pricing model ranged from $2.99 to $19.99 per check, offering both affordability and scalability.
Looking ahead, there's clear potential to expand into B2B API integrations for resale platforms, enabling automated verification before listings go live.
Reflection
Verify Kicks taught me how to bridge AI technology and real-world trust. As a product manager, I learned to translate complex ML concepts into clear user value — focusing on transparency, usability, and emotional reassurance.
This project reminded me that technology alone isn't enough; people need to believe the result. That's where product design, communication, and trust intersect.