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Taking A “Sneak” Peek Inside India’s Growing Sneaker Resale Culture

- Alexa! play sneakers by ITZY

Ekta Sinha

November 9, 2022

Since the pandemic, the $6 billion worldwide sneaker resale sector has experienced tremendous growth. The practice of buying and selling sneakers has changed- it was once for a community based with like-minded collectors driving the upswing in resale. Like most industries, this moved to anonymous trades motivated mainly by financial gain for a bit. Adidas, Nike, Puma, Vans, and Converse are the leading companies in this industry for athletic sportswear. Sneaker investors have flocked to the brands driving the surge in sneaker resale. In India, the sneaker reselling sector has developed rapidly in the last four years and is now acknowledged as a growing alternative investment market, notably among millennials and Gen Z audiences.

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According to Mohak Beri, the owner of the recently opened resale shop “Off Kicks, “It was when Kanye‘s Yeezys that sparked the sneaker reselling trend. Of course, this was before Kanye’s reputation was marred by terrible stances. In 2018, Mumbai residents lined up for the first time for a sneaker release at the Adidas store in Bandra. Sneaker enthusiasts were standing outside retailers to purchase a pair of Adidas Yeezy Boost 350s since midnight. The ₹22,500 pair started being offered online for double the original price within minutes of their debut. When sneakerheads are aware that there is a demand for a model, long queues and malfunctioning websites are almost expected. He also added Indians are going to lengths to grab an exclusive pair. Once a customer found me on Google, contacted me in the morning from Pune, and camped at my doorstep by evening to buy a rare pair of ‘Air Jordan 1 High Royal Toe,’ Never saw such days coming here,” he says, baffled.

Bot-ch Ups

Technical bots are one of the greatest problems with these organic resellers, points out Mohak. He explains what happens when the shoe bots kick in. “A shoe bot has automated the entire process of buying sneakers. A sneaker bot can automatically order the newest shoes from an internet retailer for a few hundred dollars every month. Later, the bot will resell it for a much higher price than when it was first bought on another website. Penalties have been implemented by companies like Nike to stop shoe purchase bots and the secondary market. Resell prices can be as high as ₹80,000 or more depending on the colorway and exclusivity of the shoe, as well as the shoe’s state.”

So, if you looking to cop some real jewels. We have curated a list of stores that you can check out: