Having previously covered the controversies surrounding Toni Cavanagh, the discredited former chairperson of the Two Oceans Marathon, further undeniable evidence has now come to light. It has been confirmed that Cavanagh has been actively involved in selling counterfeit footwear.
This revelation comes from a former business associate of Cavanagh who provided the below proposal from Cavanagh, “Explaining how to professionally dupe my clients. I decided not to go near this with a ten foot pole.”
Questionable Claims and Pricing
No doubt you are shaking your head after reading that nonsense. Even Cavanagh’s closest cronies would have a hard time defending such blatant fraud.
You would have to be a seriously unscrupulous individual to believe or fall for Cavanagh’s explanation about selling “Unauthorized Authentics”. The stark price differences between the regular retail price and Cavanagh’s offering would raise immediate suspicion. Some examples are Nike Air Force 1 – R975 vs R2,400, Air Jordan 1 – R1,200 vs R2,800, Dunk R1,200 vs R2,800; Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Classic – R550 vs R1,000; Vans Old Skool – R650 vs R1,300.
Misleading Terminology and Practices
Apart from the laughable term “Unauthorised Authentic Sneakers”, some highlights are:
“The sneakers all come in their original and authentic packaging and its is (sic) extremely difficult to tell the difference – as there is none.”
“Transparency and communication is (sic) important when offering your clients UA Sneakers. I make sure that I provide 2 invoices (one for the official sneaker and one for the UA option) and that the disclaimer covers their choices.”
After the lengthy disclaimer which includes an apparent admission of guilt that “it is important to understand that these products are not officially licensed or authorised by the original manufacturer” there is an inexplicable statement that “Note: All sneakers are packaged in their original brand packaging with wrapping and tags”.
The strong scent of bullshit permeates the air whenever Cavanagh touches anything. Perhaps the only 100% truthful statement in the proposal is Cavanagh’s opening salvo that “I am a stockist and reseller of ‘Unauthorised Authentic’ Sneakers and other merchandise and have been for a number of years.”
Industry Expert Verification
As for the logic and claims in the letter, I should probably not insult your intelligence with further analysis but in the spirit of diligent sewerage removal, I’ll block my nose and put on the rubber gloves.
No legitimate business would ever do overruns of 30,000 pairs of shoes. If it looks like a Nike, is boxed like a Nike and has tags like a Nike but is half the regular retail price you can be certain it is not in fact a Nike product.
I did take the time and trouble to verify that Cavanagh’s claims were complete boloney by consulting with an industry expert. The expert explained that no factory would ever “sell these left over shoes to sneaker resellers, sneaker dealers and online stores like myself, who in turn sell them at reduced prices.” He confirmed that to sell Nike products you need to be a registered reseller, overruns on that scale do not occur and, if there are poor selling lines or odd leftover sizes, these would be sent to one of the official Nike outlet ‘factory’ stores for resale.
Just to make 100% sure of my facts I contacted Masilo Masha, Sports Marketing Manager at Nike, who confirmed that Cavanagh’s claims were, “100% nonsense” as well as confirming “we do not have any relationship regarding supplying products to Toni.” He also said that he would be referring this matter to Nike’s brand protection team.
Online Activity and Failed Ventures
Towards the end of 2023 and beginning of 2024, Cavanagh was aggressively and blatantly marketing the counterfeit shoes at “too good to be true” prices on Facebook and Instagram on her SoleStyle page. The related www.solestyle.co.za web site is no longer a registered domain, joining a long list of her failed businesses.
Ironically, the press release announcing Cavanagh’s appointment as Two Oceans Marathon chairperson in 2024 lauded that she “brings a wealth of expertise as a general manager and director with top corporate brands.”
A selection of some of the special offers (at 50% or less of the retail price) are included above. It is also confirmed that the WhatsApp number listed on the adverts for counterfeit products belongs to Cavanagh and is the same WhatsApp number that she used while serving as Chairperson of the Two Oceans Marathon.
Whilst SoleStyle appears to have become defunct, Cavanagh promised to “rebrand” and reappeared with a new business called Chimotoki. Once again, she is using Facebook and Instagram as her primary means of marketing. As with her other counterfeit web site, she registered www.chimotoki.co.za but the domain is also no longer functional. The social media accounts are still active but no longer brazenly advertise counterfeit products for sale.
Cavanagh periodically posts her artwork and sneaker customisations to these social media accounts which include unboxing videos of what one would have to assume are counterfeit shoes.
Genuine Fakes
I shared the above photos with my shoe expert who was quick to say, “Looking at those screenshots you can see they are fakes from a mile away.” He noted just one looks authentic (where Cavanagh has used pictures from the internet rather than relying on her modelling skills).
However, he did give Cavanagh some kudos for the effort she’s put into the fakery, “You can see they have used a professional photographer for the pics, they really made an effort.”
My shoe expert also pointed out that Air Jordans would never have a factory overrun – in fact the opposite is true as the supply is strictly limited, “Jordans are only allocated to a very select few retailers globally who are allowed the privilege of selling them. And then, they are not allowed to decide how much they would like, they are told how much they can have. That’s why the Jordan brand has been so strong all these years, because they only make limited amounts to keep the demand high. Retro Jordans are even more limited in fewer amounts to even fewer retailers globally.” Essentially. if you are buying your Jordans from anywhere other than a high end retailer, you can be sure that they are fake.
Some Sole Knowledge
I also provided internationally renowned ‘Sneaker Evangelist’, Bernie Wicomb, the founder of Sole Knowledge with a draft of this article.
Wicomb comments on Cavanagh’s email, “In the email, the sender explicitly acknowledges that the products being offered are counterfeit, stating: ‘It’s important to understand that these products are not officially licensed or authorized by the original manufacturer.‘ This alone is sufficient to establish that Toni Cavanagh is selling counterfeit goods and is aware of it.”
He also refuted Cavanagh’s claims that massive overruns were standard practice, “In reality, footwear companies are highly focused on minimizing product waste and would not partner with factories that duplicate production runs unnecessarily. This is especially true for publicly listed companies such as Nike Inc. (owner of Nike and Converse) and VF Corp (owner of Vans), both of which prioritize sustainable production and shareholder value.”
On the too good to be true offers he said, “Pricing is another clear red flag. The prices quoted only make sense if the products were stolen, and even then, the values presented would undersell the goods.”
He concluded by addressing the term “Unauthorized Authentic Sneakers”, “I have encountered the term before. While it is sometimes used to describe products allegedly produced in the same factories with similar materials outside authorized production runs, in my experience this has never proven to be the case. Such claims generally serve as a rationalization for buyers who do not prioritize authenticity. The admission [that Cavanagh is selling counterfeit goods] in the email alone is sufficient, and it would be prudent for any lover of these products to disengage with Toni.”
Cavanagh Denies Everything
As per standard protocol, I sent Cavanagh a set of right of reply questions. Although she has given me the silent treatment in the past, she obliged with a reply on this occasion. Cavanagh did not address any of the questions directly but made the following overarching denial:
“Your allegation that I am engaged in criminal or unlawful conduct is false, unfounded and without any factual basis. It is a serious accusation and I will not entertain it.
You are required to cease and desist from making further allegations of criminality, misconduct or personal attacks against me. Allegations such as these require evidence, not speculation or hearsay. If you believe you have such evidence, you are free to present it to the appropriate authorities.
For avoidance of doubt:
- I have never imported, traded or distributed counterfeit goods
- I have not sold or advertised footwear for almost two years
- All my clients were fully informed of the origin of their footwear (full upfront disclosure)”
Whilst the brazen online advertisement of counterfeit goods has indeed stopped with the demise of SoleStyle, there is at least one further occasion where Cavanagh slipped in some counterfeit shoe sales.
Workshops and Pricing Discrepancies
In September 2024, Cavanagh held a sneaker customisation workshop at the Brush & Canvas art store in Claremont. The cost was R750 if you brought your own sneakers but you could top up your ticket with a new pair of Chuck Taylor Converses (R585) or Nike Air Force 1s (R850) which are both well below the retail price (R1,000 and R2,400 respectively). Therefore, one would logically deduce these come from counterfeit stock.
Broader Implications and Warnings
This case is not only significant due to Cavanagh’s actions but also highlights several broader issues:
- Funding Crime and Terrorism: Purchasing counterfeit goods is directly linked to financing terrorism and terrorist activites, as highlighted by various authoritative sources including a Ted Talk by Alastair Gray and related documentaries and academic papers.
- Governance Lessons: This serves as a cautionary tale for boards of major events: allegations of CV fraud or dishonesty must be thoroughly investigated.
- Repeat Offenders: People like Toni Cavanagh have a history of resurfacing on the athletics scene. A case in point would be the severely compromised Aleck Skosana who reappeared ahead of the 2025 ASA elections promising to “save ASA” (ASA is a complete mess but Skosana’s prior ignominious reign as ASA President rivals that of James Moloi). Cavanagh has proven to be entirely incompetent and a pathological liar, that she is also involved in criminal activities should hopefully prevent her resurfacing to serve in any capacity within South African athletics.
- Stop the SLAPPing: A SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) is a lawsuit filed primarily to intimidate, silence or punish someone for exercising their right to free speech, public participation and expressing valid criticism. Having been on the receiving end of a Cavanagh SLAPP, I can confirm that they are time-consuming and stressful but entirely unnecessary. They are a complete waste of money and the court’s time (Cavanagh’s SLAPP cost Two Oceans over R600,000). Unfortunately, in South Africa, there are currently no anti-SLAPP laws which leads to abuse of the legal system from the corrupt and compromised in positions of power.
Potential Repercussions
I passed on the evidence and chatted to a legal expert about the implications of the illegal sale of counterfeit shoes. The attorney clarified, “Broadly speaking, in terms of the Counterfeit Goods Act (37 of 1997) (Counterfeit Goods Act), any person who contravenes the Counterfeit Goods Act may be guilty of a criminal offence in terms of the Counterfeit Goods Act.”
The implications are potentially severe, “A contravention of the Counterfeit Goods Act amounts to a criminal offence that upon conviction may result in a monetary fine or imprisonment (up to R5 000 per article or item, imprisonment for a period not exceeding 3 years, or both for a first conviction).”
My legal expert continued, “In this case, if the conduct of SoleStyle falls into any of the counterfeiting acts listed above, then the business may be guilty of contravening the Counterfeit Goods Act. In addition to the above, SoleStyle may be civilly liable to the intellectual property rights holders.”
The legal expert concluded, “There may be a trade marks issues as well if SoleStyle is affixing trade marks such as the Nike swoosh (among others) onto what appears to be generic goods / products under the disguise of a styling or painting business.”
Final Thoughts
Toni Cavanagh’s rise to the Two Oceans Marathon chair was built on fabricated accomplishments and dishonesty. Her involvement in criminal activities, including the sale of counterfeit goods, should hopefully disqualify her from any future role in athletics administration in any format.
It is regrettable that these facts did not come to light sooner. Even the severely compromised and apathetic former Two Oceans board could not have ignored a gun with this much smoke. Removing Cavanagh prior to the 2025 event would have spared the Two Oceans Marathon from a massive amount of reputational damage, prevented the loss of the City of Cape Town’s multi-million rand sponsorship, saved hundreds of thousands of rands of frivolous legal costs and avoided the very real threat to the future of the race after violating the half marathon permit.
Fortunately Cavanagh’s reign of ignominy and board membership finally concluded at the Two Oceans Marathon AGM in September. The running community can only hope that her departure from the building is permanent.
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