A married couple who sold counterfeit shoes from their base in Cheetham Hill were hauled before a judge.
Trading Standards seized knock off shoes from 'across the country' which had been supplied by husband and wife Xiaoguang Xia and Jian Lin, who described herself as 'big lady boss'.
Prosecutors said they had about 23,000 counterfeit shoes which represented around £400,000 in turnover for the business, Manchester Crown Court heard.
The couple had a shop and a warehouse in Cheetham Hill, which they operated through their firm Apple Footwear Limited.
It was accepted by the prosecution that the counterfeit shoes represented ten per cent of their business, which was otherwise legitimate.
During 2016 and 2017 Trading Standards made 'various seizures' of counterfeit shoes which had been supplied by Xia, 41, and Lin, 37.
In 2018, Lin, a mother-of-two, went to visit her family in China and returned with a box of counterfeit labels, prosecutors said.
Then in 2019 police went to their warehouse in Cheetham Hill and found a 'large amount of footwear', some of which was counterfeit.
Prosecutors estimated that about 23,000 pairs of shoes were counterfeit.
A further 2,000 pairs of counterfeit shoes were found at their shop.
The couple's mobile phones were examined, and Lin's phone contained messages which showed she was involved in counterfeiting, prosecutor James Norman said.
In the messages she referred to herself as 'big lady boss', the court heard.
When the pair were interviewed, they denied any wrongdoing.
But both later admitted intellectual property offences.
Prosecutors said they accepted that Lin had played a 'lesser role' to her husband, but said their offending was 'sophisticated'.
Sentencing, Judge Nicholas Dean QC told the defendants: "These are insidious offences.
"They undermine the commercial operation of companies
"They appeal to a market of individuals who know full well that what they are buying is not the genuine article, but are prepared themselves to overlook the fact.
"You set about in quite a sophisticated way, Mr Xia, involving yourself in the production of counterfeit goods.
"You are family people, and you have lost a great deal as a consequence of your own actions."
The couple, both of Kempster Gardens, Salford, will also face a Proceeds of Crime investigation.
Defending, Imran Shafi QC said Xia had lost a 'successful business' which he had 'built up from scratch', and said he will lose his home.
Xia was sentenced to two years in prison but is expected to be released immediately having served more than that period on remand in prison and on a qualifying curfew.
His wife was sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years.
The prosecution came following an investigation by the City of London Police's Intellectual Property Crime Unit, who worked with GMP, Border Force, Trading Standards, Greater Manchester Fire Service and UK Immigration Services.
