Where to shop for sneakers in 2024

The shoe industry has been revolutionized in the past few years. It’s now easier than ever to buy the pair of shoes we have always been dreaming of. But since there are many options nowadays, there will always be a risk of getting scammed. In this article, I will show you the best way to shop without ever being worried about this issue.

Are the most popular platforms safe?

First of all, most regular customers who want to trade easily and don’t really think about the risk will go to the most popular platforms like StockX, Goat, or Flight Club. But are those websites safe from scams? The easy answer to this question is no. Let’s take StockX, for example. It’s very good for knowing the overall value of a particular item, but you have to know how to use it. It has the worst authentication system ever seen, and if you find out the shoe you have ordered is fake, they might not even give you a refund. So you have to be very cautious when you decide to buy on this platform.Furthermore, if you decide to buy clothes on the website, I would say there is about a 50% chance it would be a replica depending on the brand.

Goat

Another huge marketplace where thousands of items are traded every day is Goat, which is, in fact, way safer than StockX. Their authentication system is very strong. The people that work there are very qualified, they know what they are doing, and it’s a multiple-people authentication system. After hearing that, you might just want to get on the platform and buy, but you still gotta be careful. The process can be long, and you might have to wait a longer amount of time before getting what you order.

What are the alternatives?

If you want a very particular pair of shoes or clothing piece and you want to pay the lowest price possible, you are definitely going to want to take a good look at all the local resellers. Local resellers are people that buy stuff mostly at retail price but sometimes at resale price, and they sell it for a very good price. I am not talking about the sneaker stores; sneaker stores are a scam—never go there. I will explain why in another article. You’re probably asking why the price would be less expensive with a local reseller. It’s mostly because there is no tax, no selling fee for them, and it’s really easy for them. They always base their prices on the actual market value. If they have a lot of clients and followers, they now have the power to play with supply and demand just like the sneaker stores. You should always look for someone who has between 400 and 2500 followers. With less than 400 followers, they are just starting, and it might not be safe to buy from them. With over 2500 followers, they get too much attention and they might overcharge you without you even knowing.

How to find the local reseller?

There are multiple platforms where you can find them. The most notable ones are going to be Instagram and Facebook. You can try to find a Facebook group of resellers which are going to be in your town. For example, in Montreal, you could type Shoes Montreal, Sneakers Montreal, or Reselling Montreal. You will find many groups, and they are going to be filled with resellers in need of selling you a pair of shoes.

What to do when you find one?

Let’s say you just found a reseller, and he looks legit. You’re going to want to go take a look at his sales and reviews. This is going to tell you if he is legit and if it would be a good idea to do business with him. After that, you can go take a look at what he has in stock, and if nothing interests you, don’t worry about it. You can DM him and ask him if he could find you a particular pair of shoes or if he could recommend you a shoe based on the color you want and the price range.