A shipment of 13,660 pairs of counterfeit Converse sneakers shipped from China and intended for an address in Los Angeles was seized in Baltimore last week, Customs and Border Protection announced.

If the kicks had been real, the pairs of shoes would have been worth $314,180.

“Unscrupulous manufacturers and vendors illegally profit on the sale of substandard counterfeit products, such as these fake Chucks, at the expense and safety of American consumers,” CBP Area Port of Baltimore Director Adam Rottman said.

The canvas-topped shoes were first inspected at the Port of Baltimore on June 23. Customs agents had suspicions that the sneakers were fake, so they detained the shipment and sent photos of the merchandise to the intellectual property team at the agency’s trade office.

When a violation of the mid-sole Converse trademark was confirmed, the inventory list and evidentiary pictures were sent to the Apparel, Footwear, and Textile Centers of Excellence and Expertise, who determined the value of the shoes.

On July 21, CBP seized the shipment. No one has yet been criminally charged for their importation.

• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.