How to Resell Sneakers: 8 Effective Tips

Most people own several pairs of shoes, and a lot of people are buying more in the post-pandemic spending spree. Yet there’s always going to be a limited supply of the freshest kicks, so why not take advantage of this and resell new sneakers?

Yet what do you need to know? How can you demand a higher price and still interest buyers? In this guide, we’re going to look at how to start reselling sneakers and show you how to do it right.

Ready to learn more about buying and reselling sneakers? Then let’s get started!

1. Consider Holding On to Rare Sneakers

While it can be tempting to grab those new sneakers, then sell them for a 200 percent markup, this isn’t always going to be the most profitable way to resell sneakers. Some types of sneakers, particularly limited edition ones, can seriously increase in value over time. One example of this is the original Nike Yeezy sneakers.

If you’ve been able to get your hands on some limited-edition sneakers, keeping them in mint, unworn condition is the name of the game. Unworn classic sneakers can sell for thousands of dollars a decade down the line.

2. Do Your Research

If you’re not a big sneakerhead, you can still start listing sneakers for sale, but you need to do your research to make sure that you’re getting a great price. We’d recommend that you peruse sneakerhead forums and various online marketplaces to gauge how much various shoes are selling for. 

It’s also worth researching new sneakers to see which ones are getting a lot of hype. If there’s a lot of hype around a new sneaker, especially if it’s limited edition, you should consider adding it to your shopping list and grabbing a pair while you can.

3. Preordering Is Vital

While you could go to the sneaker store and line up overnight, there’s little reason to with most sneakers. If you can identity sneakers that are going to have great resale value far enough in advance, you can preorder them online and get them delivered to your home. 

This means that you won’t have to spend as much time on the sidewalk waiting for your local sneaker store to open. This does mean doing a lot of research well in advance of release, however. If you wait too long, all the preorders will be gone and you’ll be back to square one.

4. Never Be Dishonest

If there’s a similar sneaker that’s more valuable than the one you own, you might be tempted to list yours as that sneaker to make more money. This is a terrible idea.

In the world of sneaker reselling, just as in any other business, your reputation is everything. If you start to gain a reputation as a dishonest seller, the chances are that fewer, if any, people will buy from you. This will obviously have a huge impact on your business.

Always be honest: list your products accurately and precisely, be polite, be respectful. This will improve your reputation which will likely pay off as increased business over time.

5. Displaying Your Sneakers

If you want to make people purchase your sneakers, you need to make them look good. One way that you can do this is by taking photographs from different angles and in good light, showing everything about the sneakers.

Avoid complicated backgrounds: the only focus here is the shoe itself. If you can put the sneaker on a plain white background, that will work well (if the sneaker is white, consider a plain black background). 

The laces can also make a big difference to the quality of the shot. An ugly knot on a great pair of sneakers can bring the whole photo down, so make sure the sneakers have tidy laces, either tucked in or tied is a good bet.

6. Be Cautious of Fakes

You’re not the only person out there trying to make some cash by reselling sneakers. Unfortunately, not every pair of sneakers that you see online is the real deal. 

If you see a pair of great, rare sneakers that have never been worn selling at a low price, your alarm bells should start ringing. It’s very unlikely that someone who owns a pair of rare sneakers and has never worn them would be oblivious to the sneaker market. 

If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is.

7. Take Care of Your Sneakers Before You Sell Them

You can keep sneakers in their box, but this doesn’t necessarily protect them from humidity or accidental damage. Make sure that you keep your sneakers in a cool, dry place, where mold is unlikely to be an issue. You may wish to consider using a dehumidifier if you live in a humid area.

To protect them from accidental damage, you could do what many sneaker resellers do and double-box them or wrap the box in protective material. 

8. Join Reseller Communities

Other resellers may be your competitors, but they can also be your source of tips about the latest and greatest sneakers, or a useful pool of knowledge if something has gone wrong. There are Discord servers, Facebook communities, and mailing lists dedicated to the art of reselling sneakers.

Joining these groups could save you a lot of trouble further down the line, as many members will be happy to answer questions from new sneaker resellers.

How to Resell Sneakers: Answered

We hope you now feel more confident about how to resell sneakers. It may seem like a very complex world, but with the right research and business sense, you could make a lot of money buying and reselling sneakers!

If you’d like to take a look at the latest and greatest sneakers around, take a look at our store! If you’ve got any questions about our sneakers, please get in touch.