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At some point in her life, a woman may want to step out in style wearing a designer label. Like it or not, some of us have a fashionista with a potential shoe fetish lurking inside, waiting for that opportunity to break free and walk into a room wearing a fabulous pair of designer shoes. Louis Vuitton makes some of the most sought-after, stylish shoes in the world. So if you're looking to buy genuine Louis Vuitton shoes, you'll need to keep an eye out for fakes.

Look around and you'll see fake designer goods everywhere these days. When it comes to buying genuine Louis Vuitton shoes, if you know your product well enough it won't be hard to tell the difference between fakes and the real deal.

Look closely at the shoes and feel the material. Quality leather is much more costly than faux materials generally used by counterfeiters and any hardware on the shoe should have gold plate or polished brass, no paint. Stitching is important. Any seams in the shoe should be practically invisible. The Louis Vuitton symbol is visible on the outside of the shoe and can be on the side, the back or the bottom. Also, the inside of the shoe should have a serial number with a date and a "made in France" stamp as a mark of authenticity. Once purchased, all Louis Vuitton shoes come with a soft monogrammed dust bag and the classic brown Vuitton shoe box.

Think carefully about where you will purchase your Louis Vuitton shoes. Genuine Louis Vuitton shoes and products are usually only sold by official Louis Vuitton dealers. Ultimately the best place to buy genuine Louis Vuitton shoes is from Louis Vuitton. A quick look at the official Louis Vuitton website will help locate a nearby retailer. Other authorized retailers include department stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks.

Don't buy Louis Vuitton shoes from online sites or websites that claim to be Vuitton outlets. Louis Vuitton does not have outlet stores.

If you're considering buying a secondhand pair of Louis Vuitton shoes from an auction site such as eBay, check out the reviews of the seller's previous auction items. This will help weed out any dishonest sellers.

It's also not a good idea to buy from a street vendor on the corner, those shoes are bound to be fakes.

Don't be tempted to buy fake designer goods; the fines will likely cost you as much as the original price for the genuine item. The United States and other countries now have stiff penalties if you are caught selling fake designer products or try bringing them back through customs if you travel abroad.