Shopper sparks outrage with photo of absurd item for sale at thrift store: 'Has to be the worst knockoff I've ever seen'

One Reddit user was shocked to find a pair of highly sought-after sneakers at a thrift store, but the kicker was that they weren't real.

They posted a series of photos in the r/ThriftGrift subreddit. They showed a pair of blue Off-White x Nike Air Force 1s priced for nearly $999.99 at Goodwill.

"By far, the priciest sneaker grift I've seen yet," the Redditor wrote. "I determined these were fake and didn't buy them on half price day."

Commenters were quick to spot the mistakes on the sneakers. One pointed out that the shoelaces were the wrong color, while another referenced the poor stitching.

While the Redditor had a negative experience, there are many financial benefits to shopping at thrift stores. Consumers can find everyday items and even discover rare and valuable products for cheap. One study found that thrift store shoppers can save nearly $150 a month.

In addition to saving you money, thrifting also keeps clothing out of landfills. Over 13 million tons of clothing are tossed out each year, according to the University of Colorado Boulder. Shopping at thrift stores reduces the amount of clothing that gets thrown out, helping to create a circular economy.

Buying secondhand clothing from thrift stores helps conserve resources too. With the rapid production of fast fashion, the industry has become the second-biggest consumer of water, per Earth.org. For context, the production of just one cotton shirt requires about 700 gallons of water.

Fast fashion has also encouraged overconsumption of clothing produced from cheap materials that don't last long. Customers get more wear out of high-quality garments from thrift stores.

For those who don't have time to go to the store, online secondhand stores are a great alternative. Shoppers can find discounted items on websites such as ThredUp without having to leave the comfort of their homes.

And while instances like the fake sneakers are outliers, it seems like the bootleg shoes wouldn't have fooled many customers.