Established in 1920 by German immigrant Ehrhardt Koch, New Era initially started out as a niche hat brand that was supplied to players in big league baseball teams. From the Brooklyn Dodgers® to the Cleveland Indians®, New Era managed to score an impressive portfolio of well-known clients in the United States. However, it was not until the 2010s that the brand officially took off in the mainstream fashion industry. These days, New Era is known as the only fashion brand in sports history to sponsor the three major U.S Leagues - Major League Baseball, National Football League, and the National Basketball Association. Due to its esteemed position in the fashion world, it should come as no surprise that there are many fakes out there. If you’ll like to know how to identify authentic new era caps, continue reading.
Look at the Tags
One thing to note about all New Era caps: They all come with tags that are stitched in the interior. When it comes to the 59FIFTYs fitted hats, which are the signature hats of New Era, there should at least be two tags located inside the cap, one being the care instructions and the other a sizing tag. If you’re planning to get your hands on a cap that represents one of the three major leagues, there should also be a league logo, with the team’s logo imprinted on the inside of the cap. Do note that some caps may not have the best stitching, but as long as the tags are found, the cap is authentic.
All Caps Come with a Sizing Sticker
If you’re familiar with the 59FIFTYs fitted, you should know that these caps all have a circular gold sticker. Most times the stickers are located on top of the visor, but they can also be found under the visor, especially if the visor is made from a unique material. This is the sizing sticker and they’re found in all authentic New Era caps. The sizing stickers come in a variety of styles. For example, the circular gold ones for the 59FIFTYs, while the adjustable sizing sticker is green in color. Regardless of which cap you get a hold on, they should contain a sizing sticker on the inside of the cap.
NE® Logo
Another easy way to determine if a New Era cap is authentic or not is to simply search for the NE® logo located on the left side of the cap. If there’s the NE® logo, the cap is real. However, do note that this only applies to new New Era caps and some collections may not reflect this change. For example, one of these collections is the MLB Authentic Collection On Field Caps. Instead of the NE® logo, they have the flag of the United States imprinted on the left side. Regardless, in general, if the cap does not have the NE® logo, you should be cautious as it is most likely fake.
Check New Era’s Website
If all else fails, checking New Era’s official website will never go wrong. This is especially so as New Era does tend to change some factors on how to authenticate their caps from time to time. As such, it’s simply the safest way to purchase New Era’s cap from either the official website or authenticated stores like Hat Heaven. Here, you can be sure to get your hands on authentic New Era caps at all times as we take a proactive approach to specially curate our collection to only feature authentic yet rare caps in the market.