If you find yourself with a closet full of shoes that no longer fit your style or perhaps don't quite match your collection anymore, it's time to consider selling them. Whether you're a sneaker enthusiast looking to make room for new additions or a reseller seeking to turn a profit on something you're passionate about, knowing all the best places to sell shoes is a good place to start.
But with so many options available, where should you turn to maximise your chances of success? In this guide, we explore what we feel are the go-to locations to shift some of your best sneakers, providing the pros and cons of each platform along the way.
We also cover exactly how to resell your sneakers on each website to make sure you're not left in the dark once you arrive on these platforms trying to figure out where to begin selling.
So, lace up your entrepreneurial spirit as we run through some exceptional outlets for offloading your shoe collection. Here are the best places to sell shoes.
Best places to sell shoes
1. StockX
As one of the best places to buy sneakers second-hand, StockX is of course a great place to sell your shoes as well. Simply click the sell tab to set up a new listing and you're away. You can also view current listings, pending sales, and sales history here too.
It's also one of the largest sneaker resale platforms around, which means your shoes will be presented to a fairly wide audience of potential buyers. This does come at a price though, with a 9% seller fee taken by StockX as part of the company's service.
However, this percentage drops as you make more sales. After 12 sales or $1,500 in sales, the fee decreases to 8.5%. After you reach 40 sales or hit $5,000, the fee drops further to 8%. If you make 200 sales or achieve $25,000 in sales, the fee is just 7.5%. So, if you have a large collection to shift, StockX is definitely a good option to consider.
To buy shoes on StockX, people will either match your asking price or make a bid that you can choose to accept or reject. You then ship to StockX who authenticate the sneakers, which we think makes up for the seller fee as potential buyers may be more likely to purchase from here knowing what they're buying is legitimate.
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2. eBay
eBay is the biggest online marketplace, and although you can find pretty much anything and everything on the website, there is definitely a case to be made for it being a great location for selling sneakers.
By listing your sneakers on eBay, you're presenting them to a huge user base of potential buyers. What's more, you have complete control over your listings as you're the one taking the pictures, setting the prices, and writing the descriptions. To some, this may seem time-consuming, but you ultimately have full control over what you're presenting, and eBay can help point you in the right direction if you're stuck with what to include.
To make a listing, simply click the sell button at the top of the webpage and hit "List an item". Once you've filled in all the details, you can set the starting price for the auction, or you can set a buy-now price if you'd prefer. What's also great is eBay provides several discounted delivery options to help you out with postage fees.
There are additional fees to keep in mind though. Firstly, you get a monthly allocation of 1,000 free listings before you're charged 35p per listing over that limit. What's more, eBay takes a percentage of the final sale. The final value fee is calculated as 12.8% of the total amount of the sale, and for trainers specifically, there is an 8% + 30p fee to list when the selling price is £100 or more. However, items with a starting price of £100 or more are free to list and do not count against your monthly allocation of free listings. We appreciate that's a lot to take in, so feel free to check out eBay's fees for private sellers page to find out more.
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3. Instagram / X
This one is a little outside the box, but social media is definitely a great tool to consider using to sell your sneakers. Specifically, Instagram and/or X are worth checking out.
Starting with Instagram, you can now buy and sell almost any item you can think of directly through the platform, rather than leaving it to a third-party application. You will need a professional account to sell on Instagram, but after that, you can simply post pictures of your shoes and link directly to them. If you're a more casual seller though, then Instagram is perhaps best used for advertising your sneakers instead to your followers.
The same applies to X really, with it being a great platform to advertise your sneakers, providing you have an audience of followers to advertise to. This is perhaps the biggest drawback of selling on social media. Your sneakers are probably not going to reach that many eyes if you have next to no followers.
But, you do have full control over what you share and there are no additional fees involved if you're dealing with potential customers directly and not selling through a business. Other than postage, you're taking home 100% of the sale, which is useful if you're trying to make a profit (just make sure you consider any potential tax on your earnings).
Facebook Marketplace is another social media-based option to consider, although it takes a fee on each sale, hence why we haven't mentioned it in more detail here.
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4. GOAT
Like StockX, GOAT is an exceptional resale platform dedicated primarily to sneakers. You need to become an authorised seller to offload your shoes, but once you've been accepted, you can start listing your sneakers and GOAT does the rest.
With an approved account, you can tap the sell tab to list your items. There are a few things you'll need though, including the SKU, which can be found on the box or inside the item, then it's a matter of entering the condition, price, and adding in photos.
There is a fixed selling fee of $5 in the U.S. and UK involved, though this fee remains constant for all subsequent sales on the platform. However, there is also a 9.5% commission fee to take into account, which can increase depending on how often you cancel a sale.
You do see some benefit from these additional fees though. For example, GOAT authenticates every sneaker brought, which, as touched on earlier, is beneficial as potential buyers won't be put off by not knowing whether or not the shoes they're interested in are real.
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5. Flight Club
Our final recommendation is an O.G. in the world of sneakers. First established in New York, Flight Club is a well-renowned hub for buying and selling shoes often considered "grail-worthy".
To start selling, you'll need to register an account and create a submission for the shoes you want to sell. Once processed and verified, your sneakers will be listed across Flight Club's network of selling channels, which includes in-person stores and even the GOAT app mentioned above. Flight Club will also give recommendations as to how much it thinks you should be listing your shoes for based on the store's long-standing expertise in the game and competitor pricing.
Payouts are made either through PayPal or bank transfer. There are multiple fees involved here though, including a 9.5% commission fee and a $5 seller fee. Also, when it comes to cashing out, there is an additional 2.9% fee as well.
It's also worth noting that Flight Club's user base isn't the size of the likes of eBay, for example. Having physical stores is a huge bonus though, but there are only three, and they're all based in America. However, Flight Club is a highly reputable brand with a good name in the sneaker industry. So, anyone visiting Flight Club will likely have some interest and intent in buying a pair of shoes.
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Frequently asked questions (FAQs)
Selling shoes isn't straightforward, which can lead to a ton of questions. No need to worry though as we've answered some of the most commonly asked queries below.
What factors should you consider when choosing a platform to sell your shoes?
When choosing a platform to sell your shoes, there are several important factors to consider. These factors will help you determine the best platform that aligns with your goals and the way you're looking to sell your sneakers.
Firstly, identify the platform that caters to your target audience. If you're selling some highly sought-after, collectors sneakers, then you may find a dedicated shoe reselling platform is better for your needs compared to a more general marketplace. Yes, the number of users/customers may be smaller, but those who do view your shoes will likely have a higher intent to purchase.
That said, you still want to choose a platform with a significant number of active users and a strong online presence. Choosing someone with a global audience and who can sell internationally may also help get your sneakers in front of more eyes.
You will also need to consider the platform's fee structure, including listing fees, transaction fees, and any other charges they impose. Consider how these fees may impact your profit margins. Make sure you read all the terms and conditions as some platforms may offer lower fees but charge additional fees for specific features or services.
Consider the payment options available on the platform as well. Look for platforms that offer secure payment gateways, multiple payment methods (credit cards, digital wallets, etc.), and timely disbursement of funds.
And finally, review the platform's return policies and customer support mechanisms. Consider how they handle customer inquiries, complaints, and return/refund processes. A platform with favourable policies and responsive customer support can enhance the buyer experience and minimise potential issues.
How do you work out what price to sell your shoes?
Determining the right price to sell your shoes involves careful consideration to ensure profitability while remaining competitive in the market. In order to know what the market is like for your sneakers specifically, make sure you do your research.
Look at the prices of comparable shoes as well as the exact shoes you're trying to sell from different retailers and online platforms. Consider factors like brand reputation, materials, design, quality, and any unique features as well. This will give you a benchmark for pricing your shoes.
You'll also want to take in demand and whether the shoes you're trying to sell are still available to buy new. If your shoes are highly sought after and are sold out everywhere, you may be able to set a higher price than their original retail cost.
Make sure you regularly monitor the market as well. Prices fluctuate on a daily basis, so you'll need to check that your shoes are still available at a competitive price every now and then.
Should you offer free shipping when selling shoes independently?
This is a matter of personal preference and highly depends on shipping costs. For example, if you're shipping internationally, it's likely you're going to incur a fairly large fee. As a result, it's fairly common to let the recipient of your shoes pay for their delivery in this instance. Domestic shipping is far cheaper, therefore it's more common to offer free shipping as an extra incentive to buy your product, especially if you're already charging quite a high price tag for them anyway.
It's also important to evaluate what your competitors are doing. If you find there are loads of people selling the same shoes as you with free shipping, then you'll probably need to follow suit in order to remain competitive in the market.
If offering free shipping is not feasible though, you can explore other shipping-related options such as discounted shipping rates, flat-rate shipping, or expedited shipping for an additional fee.
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