How To Start A Sneaker Collection
Sneaker collecting – Wikipedia
Sneaker collecting is the acquisition and trading of sneakers as a hobby. It is often manifested by the use and collection of shoes made for particular sports, particularly basketball and skateboarding. A person involved in sneaker collecting is sometimes called a sneakerhead.
The birth of sneaker collecting, subsequently creating the sneakerhead culture in the United States came in the 1980s and can be attributed to two major sources: basketball, specifically the emergence of Michael Jordan and his eponymous Air Jordan line of shoes released in 1985, and the growth of hip hop music. The boom of signature basketball shoes during this era provided the sheer variety necessary for a collecting subculture, while the hip-hop movement gave the sneakers their street credibility as status symbols. [1] The sneakerhead culture has emerged in the United Kingdom[2] and the Czech Republic during the early 2010s. [3]
By the beginning of the 2020s, sneakerhead culture had become fully global in nature, partially due to “athleisure” attire becoming increasingly popular at both the low- and high-ends of the fashion world. [4] It also extended well beyond its original focus on shoes originally designed for use while playing basketball, with Kanye West’s Yeezy line of low-rise sneakers produced by Adidas serving as a well-known example.
Styles and marketing[edit]
Store display of new release Nike sneakers.
Several popular brands and styles of sneakers have emerged as collectors items in the sneakerhead subculture. Popular collections include Air Jordans, Air Force Ones, Nike Dunks, Nike Skateboarding (SB), Nike Foamposites, Nike Air Max, and more recently, the Yeezy line produced by Adidas but sold & marketed separately from its primary sneaker models. Shoes that have the most value are usually exclusive or limited editions. Also, certain color schemes may be rarer relative to others in the same sneaker, inflating desirability and value. More recently, sneaker customs, or one-of-a-kind sneakers that have been hand-painted, have become popular as well.
Nike, New Balance, and Reebok also have custom shops where people can choose from the color, lettering, and materials that they want. Adidas discontinued their custom shop in February 2019.
Nike continues to use basketball stars to market new sneakers. In 2011, the Zoom Hyperdunk was introduced through Blake Griffin (a Los Angeles Clippers player and NBA 2010–11 NBA Rookie of the Year). Nike has also employed celebrities from outside of the sports world to design and market new shoe lines. One example is the Nike Air Yeezy, designed by rapper Kanye West and released in 2009, as well as the Nike Air Yeezy II, released in 2012. [5] West’s relationship with Nike soured after that point, however, and in 2013 he parted ways with the company and migrated his Yeezy line of sneakers over to Adidas, which were originally produced only in limited numbers but expanded to millions sold with each “drop” beginning in 2018. [6]
Skateboarding, since about 2005, has been a major player in the shoe collecting industry especially with the variety introduced with the Nike SB, Vans, DC and Supra product lines. As of 2020, Nike Dunks – a model originally designed for basketball, but later embraced by skateboarders in low-top form (hence the name “Nike SB”) – had emerged as one of the most widely coveted sneakerhead shoes, particularly in terms of unusual collaborations with the likes of Ben & Jerry’s and the Grateful Dead. The most popular Air Jordan archival models – nearly all of which sell out within minutes after a new version is introduced, or a coveted retro colorway (e. g. the original Air Jordan 1 in its black-and-red “bred” colorway that was later banned by the NBA) is reissued – include the Jordan 1, 3, 4, 5 and 11.
Sneakerhead subculture[edit]
The sneakerhead subculture originated in the United States during the late 1980s and had gone global by the end of the 1990s. Hardcore sneaker collectors in Britain, Europe, [7] and the US[8] buy online and go to outlets, sneaker events, swapmeets, parties, and gatherings in search of rare, deadstock, vintage, and limited edition shoes to invest in. [9] Given the extent to which former cult favorite sneakers have become popular with mainstream consumers, however, new launches of “hot” sneaker models increasingly take place via online raffles through sneaker and skateboarding boutiques, as well as Nike’s SNKRS phone app and Adidas’s similar Confirmed app.
Originally popular among urban black youth and white skateboarders, by the 21st century, it had also gained a sizable Asian following especially in the Philippines, Malaysia, [10] India, and China. [11] That said, sneakers have had cult followings in Japan – where many American fashion brands remain highly covetable – since the 1990s, [12] and outside the US, Japan is one of the only markets where limited-edition styles (particularly Nikes) sold solely within the country have had region-exclusive drops. [13]
Sneakerheads collect sneakers from different brands depending on their preference. In terms of collectible sneakers that can usually be resold for well above their original retail price, the most coveted brands among sneakerheads are Nike, Air Jordan and Yeezy; models from more mainstream manufacturers such as New Balance, Puma, Vans and Reebok rarely yield significant returns, with the exception of certain collaborations with various athletes and, increasingly, celebrities with no direct ties to pro sports, including Rihanna, Drake and Vogue global editorial director Anna Wintour. [14] Nike (including the company’s Air Jordan brand) and Adidas are generally the most popular brands targeted by collectors. Popular fashion trends in sneaker culture usually overlap with streetwear[15] trends and styles.
As of 2016, the most desirable[16] colors for sneakers and apparel were black, [17] red, [18] and white[19] due to their longstanding association with late 1980s new wave music, the Michael Jordan era of basketball, [20] and old-school hip hop. [21] By 2021, however, bright colorways of Nike Dunks – particularly “collabs” with high-profile streetwear designers such as Virgil Abloh’s Off-White line and Sacai – began eclipsing even many Air Jordan 1s in popularity. Air Jordan 1 “mids” are the most wanted shoe.
Sneakerhead slang[edit]
A pair of grey “tonal” Nike low top sneakers
During the 2010s, teenage sneakerheads influenced by hip hop fashion and skater subculture began to develop their own jargon. Commonly used words include:[22]
“A. C. G” – All Conditions Gear, a brand of sneakers produced by Nike[22]
“ADC” – Adidas dot com[22]
“Beaters” – Sneakers worn despite creases, scuffs, stains, and smell[22]
“Bots” – Custom-written computer programs designed to cop sneakers in mass quantities, with varying degrees of success; much like the sneakers they’re used to purchase, the most desirable bots are sold in limited quantities and frequently resold via online forums such as Discord for well above their original purchase price[23]
“Bred” – Black and red sneakers;[22] if in reference to the original black-and-red Air Jordan 1 design, “banned” is used as a preferred synonym[24]
“B-grade” – Shop-worn seconds sold at a discount[25]
“Chucks” – Converse All-Stars, though the “Chuck” nickname has been used to describe them since at least the 1950s (e. Chuck Taylor All-Stars), in reference to their original designer, Chuck Taylor
“Coke whites” – Pristine white sneakers[22]
“Crispy” – Clean[22]
“Colorway” – The combination of colors or symbols on a pair of sneakers
“Cop” (used as a verb) – To purchase or acquire
“Cozy boy” – Fashionable but also comfortable[22]
“Deadstock” – A pair of sneakers that has never been worn[22]
“Deubre” – Also called lace tags are popular on shoes like Air Force Ones
“Don’t sleep” – Used literally relative to sneaker drops, e. collectible Nikes that are most often released at 7:00am West Coast time in the US, when many sneakerheads would normally be asleep; informally used as a synonym for “don’t forget”
“Dope” – Fashionable
“Double up” – Buying two identical pairs of sneakers[22]
“Drop” – Release of a new sneaker[26]
“Feezy” – Fake Yeezys
“Fire” – Very good[22]
“Flop” – Poorly sold
“Fresh” – New and cool[22]
“Fugazi” – Fake
“GOAT” – Greatest Of All Time[22] (most commonly a reference to Michael Jordan, in sneakerhead terminology, or the reseller store of the same name)
“Garms” – Clothes[22]
“Grail” – Very rare sneakers, as in Holy Grail, and commonly priced well north of US$1, 000 for a new-in-box pair
“GR” – General release, or common
“Gum sole” – Sneakers with solid rubber soles in their original light beige color[22]
“Gutties” – Scottish slang term for trainers/sneakers.
“Heat” – Rare sneakers that draw looks
“Hypebeast” – Trendies who only buy the latest release. Hypebeasts buy whatever the celebrities are wearing and tend to copy people like hip-hop artist Kanye West. By 2020, hypebeast became a derogatory term in many countries for a hipster whose style had begun branching out into designer streetwear. [27]
“High Top(s)” – A shoe that rises above or on the ankle mainly used for ankle support during sports. [22]
“J’s” – Another name for Jordan brand shoes
“JB” – The Jordan Brand logo (see below)[22]
“Jumpman” – Basketball player Michael Jordan, but in sneakerhead culture more commonly used to describe the Jordan logo depicting Jordan created by legendary Nike designer Tinker Hatfield and first seen on the Air Jordan 3 (and most new Jordan designs since then)[22]
“Ice” – Sneakers with transparent soles
“Instacop” – Impulse buying[22]
“Kicks” – Shoes
“L” – Loss/unable to purchase
“Lit up” – Great[22]
“Lows” – Also called low tops are shoes that sit below the ankle [22]
“Mids” – Situated between highs and lows in the Air Jordan 1 lineup, but generally viewed as much less collectible
“NIB” – Unworn, new in the box (as is required to sell shoes via popular reseller StockX)
“OG” – Retro re-release of an original design or colorway, derived from the term “original gangster” but generally limited to describing variations of the Air Jordan 1 High
“Quickstrikes” – Limited edition sneakers and prototypes with a regional early release, especially Nikes, [28] and are highly desirable[29] status symbols for American sneaker collectors. [30]
“Reseller” – A person who buys large quantities of unworn popular sneakers to sell at a profit;[31] also used to describe retail stores, both online and off, that sell collectible models at prices usually well above original retail, including StockX, Stadium Goods, Flight Club and GOAT
“Red October” – Very rare red sneakers by Nike and rapper Kanye West[22]
“Silhouette” – Design of a sneaker
“Sitting” – Referring to sneakers produced in large quantities that go unsold
“Slept on” – Unappreciated by the wider community
“Steezy” – Stylish[22]
“Tackies” – South African teenage slang for sneakers
“Threads” – Clothes
“Tonal” – Sneakers in a single color, as in monotone. [22]
“Trainers” – British slang for sneakers
“Unauthorized / unauthorised” – counterfeit[32]
“VNDS” – Very Near Dead Stock sneakers that have been tried or worn once/twice and that look new while maintaining clean, spotless soles and no marks/signs of wear. (View More)
“W” – Win/successful purchase
“Wild” – Amazing[22]
“Yeezy” – Sneakers designed by rapper Kanye West[33]
Industry growth and reselling[edit]
In response to the significant surge of interest in sneakers between 2010 and 2020, the sneaker market has begun to expand into a variety of different, and oftentimes unique, venues. The growth of online retailing and auction sites has provided sneaker collectors with new methods to find the rarest shoes. Sneaker retailers have begun to adopt creative means to release these limited-production sneakers. Some have implemented a raffle system – for both online sales as well as in-store ones, in some cases – where the winners are chosen at random, while others have implemented a first come, first served model. The SNKRS app was launched in 2015 by Nike to give more access to the latest sneaker drops in addition to expanding its consumer audience. [34] The app implements multiple variations of raffle systems – most notably 10-minute-long “draws” – and as of 2020 mostly eschews the older first come, first served model, given that the large majority of shoes sold via SNKRS are heavily hyped. (Nike still sells the vast majority of its products via its separate, non-SNKRS-related app, along with sales through traditional brick-and-mortar sellers such as Foot Locker as well as large department stores. )
Due to the popularity of these rare sneakers and streetwear culture, the emergence of a large-scale counterfeit market has risen to meet the demand for these highly sought-after sneakers. However, in response to the large counterfeit challenges, new companies have taken off. [35] The shoe reselling market is currently dominated by StockX and GOAT. Sneakers have some of the highest resale multiples among retail consumer goods, and the two aftermarket websites (each of which also allows for buying and selling via custom-designed phone apps) currently have a de facto monopoly on the niche, though eBay launched its own authenticated-sneaker initiative to compete with them (and mitigate their reputation as a common outlet for counterfeit sneaker sales). [36] The old-school sneakerhead community routinely expresses distaste for the resale community, especially buyers who only do so for profit’s sake, not appreciation for sneakers’ history or artistry. [37]
Apps like SNKRS were made to give ordinary buyers a fair chance to purchase a given pair, but with mixed results. While Nike has the financial wherewithal to continuously improve the app to prevent bots from exploiting it, this is generally not the case with small, independent sneaker boutiques; on many such sites, bots and proxy servers in particular (which “spoof” IP addresses to obfuscate the fact that dozens, hundreds or even thousands of purchase attempts are being made from a single buyer’s computer) have made it effectively impossible in most cases for people to purchase hype sneakers via scheduled drops before they sell out, which typically happens within 2-3 minutes and sometimes within a matter of seconds. While StockX and GOAT have not disclosed how many sellers on their platforms sell goods en masse, they’re believed to be the most popular outlets for doing so; StockX sold $1. 8 billion in merchandise in 2020 alone (including sportswear and some other lines, but predominantly sneakers). [38] Sneakers are resold for prices that can range from a modest 15%-20% above retail, and up to a 10x (or 1, 000%) return on the most coveted, low-production drops.
These sites provide a trusted platform where buyers can buy shoes from sneaker resellers, though on occasion both are accused of delivering counterfeit shoes that somehow passed their “legit checks, ” the specifics of which are kept close to vest. On both StockX and GOAT, a buyer places an order for a given pair of sneakers, and the seller sends the purchased item(s) to StockX or GOAT facilities for inspection and verification; products are shipped to buyers if they’re successfully authenticated. [39] StockX allows registered users to watch and track resale prices in real time, along with publishing longer-term pricing & sales trends for sneakers that have been available for extended periods of time. [40] Additionally, sneakers bought from StockX arrive with a QR coded tag on the shoes as an ostensible guarantee of their authenticity, but some buyers have nonetheless claimed that the shoes they’ve received are fakes – though given the opaque nature of online sneaker reselling in general, it’s rarely possible to discern whether such claims are accurate.
See also[edit]
Benjamin Kapelushnik (sneaker reseller)
Just for Kicks (documentary film)
Sneakerheads (TV series)
2010s teenage fashion
References[edit]
^ Skidmore, Sarah (15 January 2007). “Sneakerheads love to show off shoes”. The Washington Post. Retrieved 2008-01-19.
^ “United Kingdom ‘sneakerheads’ the rise of streetwear and being an Sneakerhead in the Uk”. Urbanworld Streetwear. Retrieved 5 January 2020.
^ “Czech ‘sneakerheads’ flaunt their best trainers”. Czech Position. Archived from the original on 20 June 2011. Retrieved 24 June 2011.
^ “Athleisure Has Finally Gone High Fashion”. GQ. Retrieved 1 Oct 2021.
^ Kim, John. “Nike Air Yeezy 2 – Officially Unveiled”. Retrieved 1 May 2014.
^ “Finally, Yeezys You’ll (Probably) Be Able to Get Your Hands On”. Retrieved 1 Oct 2021.
^ Charles, James (January 24, 2015). “Sellers pay the price as eBay fails to deliver on its promises” – via
^ “Finance & Footwear: Investing In Sneakers Could Pay Off Big In The End”. May 5, 2016.
^ Taylor, Ian. “The Best Sneakers To Invest In: Converse Chuck Taylor”. AskMen.
^ “Malaysian sneakerheads”. Archived from the original on 2016-05-08. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
^ “Nike fan buys his first flat by pawning collection of 283 pairs of Air Jordan trainers”.
^ “To The Max: How Tokyo Became A Sneaker Mecca”. 14 July 2020. Retrieved 1 Oct 2021.
^ “The Coolest Japan-Exclusive Sneaker Releases Ever”. 26 Nov 2020. Retrieved 1 Oct 2021.
^ “The Best Sneaker Brands In The World Right Now”. FashionBeans. Retrieved 2020-01-23.
^
^ “Why a Sneakerhead Destroyed His Rare Air Jordans”. Washington City Paper.
^ Chandran, Nyshka (September 28, 2016). “Why sneakers such as Yeezys are a solid investment: StockX”.
^ “New Exhibit Laces Together Sneakers And History”.
^ “A Sneakerhead Turned His “Laser” 1s Into fragments and Breds”. Complex.
^ “Jordan low bred”. Archived from the original on 2016-04-15. Retrieved 2016-04-20.
^ Kurie, Brendan. “Sole sensation: High-end sneaker culture thrives in New Bedford”.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y “Your Definitive Guide to Sneaker Slang”. Coveteur. April 18, 2017.
^ “Everything You Need to Know About Sneaker Bots”. 27 Jan 2021. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
^ “The History of Michael Jordan’s “Banned” Sneakers”. 3 May 2020. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
^ Sneaker glossary
^ “Grundbegriffe des Resellings • Sneaker-Reseller”. September 11, 2018.
^ Hipster hypebeast
^ Nast, Condé. “Five Easy Steps to Re-Selling Your Sneakers on the Internet”. GQ.
^ “Here’s Our Favorite Sneakers Worn at Nike’s Air Max Con in New York”. Highsnobiety. March 25, 2016.
^ “VladTV // Sneakers”.
^ “Reselling Sneakers Might Be a Better Investment Than Buying Stock in Apple”. Complex.
^ Chesler, Josh (July 22, 2015). “10 Sneaker Terms You Need to Know When Getting Into Kicks”. Phoenix New Times.
^ Sneaker guide
^ “Just Did It: My long road to redemption on Nike’s SNKRS app”. For The Win. 2020-02-12. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
^ “GOAT raises $25M more to expand its mobile sneaker marketplace”.
^ “Explore your passion for sneakers — let eBay take care of the paperwork”. CNN.
^ “Nike Will Probably Never Eliminate Resellers, and Here’s Why”. Complex. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
^ “StockX’s Annual Snapshot Report Sheds Light on Market-moving Trends, Industry Insights, and Record Growth in 2020”. Retrieved 2021-10-01.
^ Griffith, Erin (2019-06-26). “Buy Low-Tops, Sell High-Tops: StockX Sneaker Exchange Is Worth $1 Billion”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
^ “How To Make A Fortune Selling Sneakers”. Retrieved 2020-08-21.
Further reading[edit]
Michael Khan, “Sneakerheads show sole devotion to footwear”, The San Diego Union-Tribune (September 28, 2004).
Richard A. Martin, “The Rebirth of the New York Sneakerhead”, The New York Times (July 11, 2004).
Michael Tunison, “‘Sneakerheads’ Kick It Up a Notch in Search for That Rare Pair”, Washington Post (Saturday, February 17, 2007): D01.
Eric Wilson, “Front Row; Sneakerhead Bonanza”, The New York Times (March 23, 2006).
Bloomberg, “Sneaker Culture and Street Wear on Bloomberg TV”, Bloomberg TV (January 31, 2012).
Cool Hunting, “‘Where the Ladies At'”, Cool Hunting (October 11, 2005).
Douglas Brundage, “A Close Reading of Hypebeast’s “Streetwear Impact Report”, Medium (May 26, 2019).
External links[edit]
Sneakerhead University on – series about sneakers etc.
Sneakerhead News in Brasil.
Sneakerhead News in spañol.
How to Resell Sneakers: Beginner’s Guide to Flipping Shoes
Learning how to resell sneakers isn’t a new hustle.
This has actually been a successful side gig for decades in many cities and the explosion of the Internet and online commerce has opened up more opportunities than ever for selling and reselling sneakers.
If you grew up when the first Air Jordans came out, this shouldn’t be that much of a surprise.
While sneakers are often seen as a fashion statement, with many people believing the kind of kicks you’re wearing describes the type of person you are, if your first thought when seeing a pile of really nice discounted sneakers or tennis shoes is “profit potential, ” then you’ve come to the right place.
However, you may have heard that there’s more money to make by reselling shoes than by wearing them. Good news: you’re probably an entrepreneur.
In this post, you will learn how to resell sneakers for a profit, including important information like:
What the sneakerhead culture is, how much the market is worth, and how much you can make by taking advantage of it
The most expensive and sought-after shoes and sneakers in the secondary market
How to find the best shoes to buy and where to sell them
The pitfalls of reselling shoes
Additional tips to help you make the most out of reselling shoes
Learn How to Resell Shoes
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ContentsHow to Resell: Sneaker Reselling for BeginnersHow Much Can You Make Reselling Shoes? How to Buy & Sell the Most Expensive and Sought-After Shoes and SneakersThe Process of Reselling ShoesHow to Find Shoes to Buy and SellHow to Determine if the Shoes Are FakeShoe Reselling TipsWhere and How to Buy and Sell ShoesThe Cons of Reselling ShoesHow to Avoid Common Sneaker Reselling MistakesAre You Ready for the Rigors of Selling Used Shoes?
How to Resell: Sneaker Reselling for Beginners
The flipping sneaker business in many places has provided an avenue for hustlers to ethically and ingeniously make a quick buck. And what seemed to be footwear that keeps your feet safe and warm serve a different purpose to other people.
Compared to some other ways of making money online, the sneaker resale market is very profitable and valued at around $1 billion. While only 4% of shoes and sneakers are purchased upon release for resale, the market benefits from side hustlers and entrepreneurs who operate in different channels.
The sneaker market as a whole has opened up itself to more people with the help of online channels. However, back in the day when the internet didn’t exist, there was a competition within the different communities and tribes in the market. People scoured through a thrift store and flea markets to get shoes under their market price.
Others would run to their nearest Foot Locker to get the latest pair of shoes. Information was spread through word of mouth and Eastbay mail catalogs. In other words, reselling sneakerheads worked in isolation with their communities.
There was only so much distance and area you could cover in the early sneaker game. That shared common experience within a small group of people made the sneaker market what it is today.
To get your fix on the latest sneaker news, you just need to hop onto Hyperbeast and High Snobiety or other sites that keep track of the sneaker fashion market. Both are fashion sites that extensively cover information and news about the culture for sneakerheads of all levels.
If you want to get connected with fellow sneaker lovers, you need to attend SneakerCon that takes places in the different parts of the world.
How Much Can You Make Reselling Shoes?
The short answer? Millions.
JV is a guy making six figures a year reselling shoes. He got his start flipping sneakers as a side gig while working retail. After 4 months in, he was clearing over $10, 000 per month.
He’ll teach you how to do the same thing he does, clear the big bucks, in his online course. If you add the code NICHEMONEY, you can get an extra 10% off.
Reselling shoes isn’t a rare phenomenon. A quick look at Amazon and eBay will reveal you a secondhand pair of sneakers up for grabs for every brand new pair. The process of shoe selling is all too common that there are people who made reselling shoes a profitable full-time job.
However, there are only a handful of people who have built an empire as shoe resellers. Arguably the most successful sneaker reseller is Benjamin Kapelushnik. Also known as Benjamin Kickz and owner of the sneaker marketplace Sneaker Don, he started in the business at 13 in 2013 and made it big two years after.
He rose to fame as the shoe supplier to DJ Khaled who referred him to his friends in the music and entertainment industry. He made his first million in 2016 and had been reselling rare and expensive shoes and sneakers to high-ticket clients since then.
Sneaker collecting is a thing and for individuals who can get a good deal on rare or hard to find sneakers like a limited release commemorative pair of Nike Air Jordan 2 Just Don, the Nike SB Dunk, or others, it can be ridiculously profitable to be reselling sneakers.
However, if we’re being more realistic, unless you know someone like DJ Khaled, it will likely be impossible for you to make that much money in two years. That doesn’t mean you should stay out of the sneaker resale game, though! If you follow the process of flipping shoes, you can get around $80-100 per pair for starters.
You can work your way to generating higher margins if you get better sneakers to resell, maybe around $500 per pair.
This is not a bad way to make money, and you’ll learn the exact process later on.
If you want to take a look at what some of these shoes are selling for, take a quick peak at eBay. Type in “Limited edition sneakers. ” Some of those options sell for hundreds of dollars!
How to Buy & Sell the Most Expensive and Sought-After Shoes and Sneakers
Ever since the 70s, there are only two brands that mattered to most sneakerheads: Nike and Adidas.
Both brands have produced lines of sneakers and shoes for athletes and artists. Some of those lines have withstood time and exponentially increased their value since their release. Some brands have made waves (Reebok) and are poised to make one (Under Armour, Big Baller Brand). However, if you’re in the sneaker industry, you can’t go wrong with these two brands.
Below are some of the more popular expensive shoes in the market pioneered by the two brands:
Most Popular Expensive Shoes to Resell
Air Jordan 12 ($100, 000+) – Michael Jordan needs no introduction. Aside from his accomplishments as a basketball player, he established the Jordan brand that comprises his line of Nike shoes. In fact, you can quickly make a list of most expensive sneakers based on his shoes alone. The most affordable pair of Jordan shoes could go for $4, 500 (Jordan III OG) on resale. However, the Jordan 12 collection is easily the most expensive pair of shoes in the Jordan line. In particular, the Jordan 12 Flu Game shoes, where he willed his body to score 38 points in a pivotal game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals, tops the list at a whopping $104, 000.
Nike Air Yeezy 2 “Red October” ($6, 000) – Kanye West is one of the most popular artists to date. His fame prompted Nike to launch their first non-athlete collaboration pair of sneakers. Released in 2009, Red October was initially sold for $250. Since then, the pair is resold between $5, 600 to $6, 400. West collaborated with other footwear such as Louis Vuitton, BAPE, and Adidas. The latter started their partnership with West that ended up being the Adidas Yeezy Boost line. In fact, a pair of Yeezys is some of the most coveted shoes in the market outside of Jordans.
Nike Air Mag Back to the Future ($10, 000+) – Inspired by the sneakers worn by Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) in Back to the Future 2, there are only 1, 500 pairs manufactured by Nike. However, none of them made over to stores as all pairs were sold through auction. Proceeds went to Fox’s foundation for Parkinson’s disease research. The pair has glowing LED panels and upper contour.
As mentioned, there are other up-and-comer brands with pairs of sneakers worth looking into. Thanks to Stephen Curry, Under Armour’s stock is rising. And while Big Baller Brand built their brand around hype (for the time being until Lonzo Ball achieves greatness), the $500 pair of kicks they’re selling is interesting to say very least.
That being said, when you’re starting out with flipping sneakers and learning about the resale market for popular sneakers, you should stick with the most popular brands.
In the beginning, learning about the sneaker resale market, secondary markets, and spotting fake sneakers will take up plenty of time and energy. You don’t need to be speculating until you get your sneaker game up to snuff!
The Process of Reselling Shoes
While earning over a million dollars for reselling shoes at this stage is still possible, there are lots of obstacles you must overcome to reach that goal. Aside from bagging clients willing to shell out serious dough for sneakers, you need to learn where to find and acquire the most sought-after shoes.
The competition nowadays is fierce as you’ll be lucky to establish a client base as a beginner.
Therefore, you need to immerse yourself in the sneakerhead culture and apply yourself 100% to have a fighting chance. There are more individuals than ever involved in sneaker collecting so the sneaker resale market has room for more entrepreneurs (or sneaker hustlers, whatever term you prefer).
We’ve already discussed the sneaker industry in general above. Now, it’s time to delve into the process of the actual process of reselling shoes and sneakers.
How to Find Shoes to Buy and Sell
Before you can even begin finding shoes to buy and resell, you need to understand the market better.
Reselling shoes are similar to the stock market. There are pairs of shoes that don’t start out too hot but eventually accumulate value later on. Conversely, some sneakers generate lots of attention only to fizzle out as time goes by.
Want even more step by step details on how to find great shoes you can sell for a profit? Check out the Hypemaster Playbook for a great course into the shoe reseller world.
To truly benefit from learning how to resell sneakers, you need to purchase products that are sold on the cheap but have lasting value in the long run. One way of doing so is by buying the sneaker on release day at retail prices, which is where they are at their most affordable.
However, instead of lining up to store for hours to buy them, you can quickly place your orders on Frenzy, a Shopify-owned app.
It will notify you of the release dates of the latest sneakers from the biggest brands. From there, you can place your orders (ideally in bulk) and make a profit by reselling them. The goal of the app is to reduce that friction between retailers and consumers so both can seamlessly make transactions and make money faster.
However, new pairs of shoes come far and few in between. To make money in reselling shoes, you need to find pairs sold under reseller price so you can profit off them. But how can you know how much a pair of shoes cost?
This is where StockX comes in. The site shows how much the shoes and sneaker cost over a 12-month period.
Just like a stock market index graph, you will see the movement of price over time, thus giving you information on which shoes to acquire for reselling. It also serves as a consignment store where people can bid or ask for shoes for resale. If you got a pair of sneakers you want to sale, you could do so through the site.
Once you have the information you need, it’s time to search for those shoes online.
If you want to automate the process of finding the shoes that you want to purchase and flip, then use AIO Bot. Upon buying and installing on your computer, you can choose which shops you want to cop from. Enter the shoe you’re looking for, the size, and color and the bot will take care of searching the sites for you.
This is one of a couple of bots to help you efficiently find shoes for you to increase your chances of finding one without having to look for it personally.
However, before you get help from a bot, you may want to roll up your sleeves to do thing manually. A quick search on eBay for Air Jordan 12 yield these results:
There’s a chance you will see shoes way below market reseller price and sell them more than 10x you bought for them. Between StockX checking the price on StockX and buying/flipping on eBay, you can get started right now.
So your journey as a sneaker reseller begins. But how do you know that those aren’t fake sneakers?
How to Determine if the Shoes Are Fake
The last thing you want to happen is for you to purchase fake shoes mistakenly. This is a problem that pervades in online marketplaces without a middleman like Amazon or eBay. If the price is too good for its good, then maybe it’s a fake. But before making that conclusion, you need to learn how to find out if the sneakers are legit or not.
Below are ways that you can check if a pair of sneakers or shoes you’re trying to buy is genuine or not:
Criteria to Determine if Shoes are Fakes
Ask for tagged photos – The price should normally be enough to persuade you to purchase an item. However, you need to consider other factors that go into the sale of the sneakers. Tagged, hi-res pictures of the item are one way to account if the kicks are legit or not. Ask the seller to take multiple photos of the sneakers with the latest edition of the newspaper to see if it’s for real. You can then cross-reference the pictures with the actual version of the shoes on their official site. Refer to Fake Education on Instagram to find tips and information on how to spot fake ones.
Ask for the receipts – For new purchases, you must request for the receipt of the item to verify the authenticity of the sneakers. It the receipt proves that the shoes were acquired from the official stores, then it’ll be much easier for you to sell the sneakers since you have tangible proof that the shoes are indeed real.
Do your research – For Amazon and eBay sellers you can check their seller rating on their profile. Anything lower than 95% is to be avoided. Also, read the comments and reviews of other buyers. Some may just be complaining about relatively trivial stuff like slow delivery time and those that have nothing to do with the actual shoes. Lastly, check if the reviews were from real buyers and not profiles that were created to help hike up the seller’s rating.
Trust your instinct – If you did your homework and had all the facts that point to the authenticity of the sneakers but you still have doubts about the seller and shoes, then don’t proceed with the transaction. At first, you probably don’t have the intuition yet to determine if there’s something wrong with the shoes or seller. In time and with enough practice of buying and selling, you will be able to discern much easier.
While these tips will help you avoid purchasing bogus shoes, it’s not foolproof that you will entirely avoid such purchases. Just make sure to ma careful and alert enough to keep these provisions in mind when buying.
Shoe Reselling Tips
Below are a few tips for reselling shoes for top dollar. First you need to figure out where to buy the show and then you need to figure out how to actually sell the shoes for a profit.
We will also quickly review some of the dark sides of selling shoes and a few mistakes to avoid when you are getting started.
Where and How to Buy and Sell Shoes
Now that you have the shoes, you must find the best channels where you can sell them to turn in a profit.
You can start by creating an account on a consignment shop like StockX to resell the shoes there. Both sites serve as middlemen between buyer and seller. Therefore, you deal directly with either website to sell your shoes. Send them the sneakers when you’ve chosen the highest bid, and they will take care of the rest.
Sites like StockX are convenient ways to sell your shoes and ensures buyers that they won’t be duped by fake sneakers.
On the flipside, you don’t get the personal touch from consignment stores that go with seller-to-buyer transactions. However, if you’re not much of a salesman or a people person, then this shouldn’t be a problem.
If you want the traditional way of reselling shoes, you can always go the way of Facebook Groups, Craigslist, and eBay. These sites allow you to put your personal touch on your pair’s product page.
As a best practice, you need to be descriptive and detailed as possible about the sneakers. Leave no stone unturned and make sure that you are honest in your description. Assuming that you’re a new seller, it’ll take time before buyers warm up to you. Therefore, you need to keep working on gaining the trust of buyers and continue marching forward.
It may be a good idea to start small when you buy and sell shoes. This keeps your initial investment low, allows you to learn the game, and your buyers are more likely to take a risk when their investment is low too.
For more informal selling like in Facebook Groups and even in Sneaker Con, expect to encounter shady people who might show interest in buying your kicks. As mentioned earlier, you need to discern which among the buyers are trustworthy.
About the price, you need to check StockX to see the range of how much the shoes are sold in the market. You must also check the trend and volatility of the sneakers to come up with a price that will make you and your buyer happy. The market dictates the price, and the only unfair price is the one that no one is buying.
When it comes to your inventory, you may want to reinvest your earnings on another pair or pairs of shoes. Don’t cash out early in the game just yet. Do your research and find available shoes that you can purchase even before you have the money to buy them.
There are also more tools that you should look at including the GOAT app which is an app solely dedicated to buying and selling sneakers and is huge among sneaker resellers. This is another place where authentic sneakers can potentially be bought or sold, making this a great tool to find sneakers you couldn’t find in the secondary market, or to sell those that you did.
What you want is an efficient process where your money comes and goes to another and more expensive pair so you can exponentially increase your income. If done successfully, you can purchase items in bulk and multiply your earnings even more!
The Cons of Reselling Shoes
As a hustler, you need to be aware of the potential problems you will be facing with every venture you undertake. And as profitable as reselling shoes can be, it also has another side of the coin that you need to know before diving deep into the sneaker business.
Below are some of the more pressing issues:
Cons to Consider when Reselling Sneakers
Complicated marketing – Apps like Frenzy solves the problem of lining up for hours waiting for the store to open so you can become one of the first to get a pair. However, it also pushes the limit on how resellers can maximize the opportunity to get their hands on the latest pair of hyped sneakers. Apps that let you reserve shoes and sneakers before their release date and social media contests and raffles are just the tip of the iceberg. Over time, new ways of marketing to resellers will increase and become needlessly more complex, and there’s nothing you can do but keep up with the changes.
Sneaker violence – Resellers indirectly have a part to play in the constant violence that surrounds sneakers, just as much as consumers and retailers are culpable. Due to their high price tag and increasing value of sneakers, no thanks to resellers who exacerbate the issue, some people will go to great lengths and get their pair even if it means breaking the law. However, the sneaker culture is ingrained deep in the society that it will be impossible to remove malice and violence from the equation. It is something that comes with the job and perhaps a burden that every reseller has to bear.
Sneakers as an investment than footwear – Given the nature of reselling shoes, this question comes to mind: who is the market for sneakers? On the one hand, some consumers have a passion for sneakers and use them to promote their fashion sense. On the other, resellers try to get their hands on the most hyped shoes and resell them above their retail price. There’s nothing wrong with reselling as a hustle, but it potentially robs people who are genuinely interested in the kicks and plan on collecting and wearing them. In other words, the sneaker reselling business robs collectors from pursuing their passions righteously. Retailers do more marketing and promotional campaigns geared to resellers.
How to Avoid Common Sneaker Reselling Mistakes
While it’s important to be excited and have the energy to really jump into the sneaker resale game, sometimes you need to slow down. Jump on good deals. But any time you feel that something is off or there’s a red flag – listen to those instincts.
Even the top shoe reselling hustlers have been taken in by fake sneakers before. While in theory PayPal or other services have a money protection guarantee, getting your money back can be a hassle.
For anyone who has ever dealt with PayPal returns, it’s not a guarantee, either. If you get into a “he said, she said” argument with the seller of fake shoes a PayPal customer service rep is not the one you want making a final decision on hundreds of dollars.
Another common mistake, is not warning PayPal about a surge in transactions.
If they’re not used to seeing a lot of movement in your PayPal account, many transactions in the thousands of dollars for used sneakers could get the account flagged. This is a headache, but it is one you can work around.
If you have to upgrade to a business account, so be it. Better than losing out on deals. Or having your hard earned money frozen in the account.
Finally, have a plan for management.
Do you have a good bank roll and plan on buying a large number of authentic sneakers before selling? Are you planning to buy shoes and then flip them quickly? You need to know how much space you have, have a plan for tracking inventory as well as expenses and profits, and manage your process.
Taking time up front to make sure you have the space, tracking setup, and a backup plan in case things go sideways will save you a lot of headaches in the future.
Are You Ready for the Rigors of Selling Used Shoes?
This post offers a great overview, but you will need more if you’re getting into the game of buying and selling sneakers. If you want to learn from the true expert and get much more depth for how to make this business work for you, you don’t need to start as a newbie.
Without a mentor, your chances of losing money and wasting time are higher since you’re competing with the experts.
If you’re ready to learn how to become a sneaker reseller, you’re going to want a mentor to speed up the process.
How to Learn More About Reselling Shoes
I recommend taking a look at the Six Figure SneakerHead – HypeMaster Playbook Here.
Make Up To six figures a month reselling shoesUse coupon code NICHEMONEY for an extra 10% off.
Reselling shoes is a fun way to make money as a part-time job, if not as a full-time one, and regardless of your age. If you are into basketball and hip-hop or if you have experience in flipping items before, then you are already a step ahead of other beginners in the game.
If you’re looking for other ways to make some money, look at buying and selling concert tickets.
How many shoes do you need to be a sneakerhead? – sneakervista
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How many shoes do you need to be a sneakerhead?
The largest collectors of sneakers have thousands of sneakers in their collections, for which they have spent millions of dollars. But what is the minimum number of sneakers you should have to call yourself a sneakehead?
That number is 147.
No, of course we’re kidding. There is no exact number of sneakers a sneakerhead should possess. It’s individual and even real sneaker fans will suffice with 5–10 pairs of shoes that they love.
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The process of shoe selling is all too common that there are people who made reselling shoes a profitable full-time job. However, there are only a handful of people who have built an empire as shoe resellers. … If you follow the process of flipping shoes, you can get around $80-100 per pair for starters.Nov 11, 2020
How many shoes do you have to have to be a sneakerhead?
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