Authenticity guide
How product codes help identify genuine shirts and shirts that are not genuine.
Reviewed by Revive Sports · 11 July 2026
A matching club-specific product code identifies the brand, shirt, season, version and colourway the label is claiming. Some smaller clubs use shared catalogue teamwear, where the code identifies only the base garment and several clubs can legitimately share it; the badge, sponsor and printing then establish the final club shirt. Neither type of match proves the photographed shirt is genuine because valid codes are copied onto shirts that are not genuine.
Public code lookups and search results can help, but they are not a complete proof system. The safest evidence comes from verified examples, exact product-code matches, known not genuine code collisions and clear label photos from the same era.
A product code is not magic proof on its own. Some not genuine shirts copy real-looking codes, use a genuine code on the wrong shirt, or show generic RN/CA registration numbers instead of the actual product code. Treat codes as evidence within a full check.
A front authenticity number or security-tag number should not appear across lots of unrelated shirts. If the same supposedly unique code appears on different teams, colours or seasons, that is a strong not genuine indicator.
Nike codes are often behind the washing labels or on a small product label. Adidas codes are commonly near the neck, shoulder or washing-label area depending on era. Puma usually uses Style No or Article No wording. Older vintage shirts may not have modern product-code labels.
Take a clear square photo of the full label area plus a closer image where the code can be read.
Revive Sports compares visible codes against known genuine stock, known not genuine examples, manual review notes and the rest of the shirt evidence. Public search results can help spot code collisions, but verified reference examples are more important.
Upload a full set of photos and let Revive Sports run an AI authenticity assessment before you decide what to do next.
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