The days when sneakers were exclusively sportswear are in the past. Their comfort is undeniable, and with increasingly more liberal fashion trends, sneakers are becoming more popular in all settings. Wondering whether this is true? Take a look at the sneaker market statistics. With a slight bump in 2020 due to coronavirus lockdowns, it is continuously growing and is expected to surpass 100 billion in revenue in 2028.
But sneakers aren't only about footwear. The abundance of fashionable brands, like Nike, Adidas, and Converse, meet with celebrity brands like Kanye West's Yeezy sneakers or Rihanna's FENTY x PUMA to create an enormous demand. And, as characteristic of our contemporary market, demand is a perfect opportunity to increase supply. And that's what sneaker copping is about.
Quick-witted internet users notice that the most fashionable sneaker drops go out of stock immediately. Remember when Air Jordan 1 Low Golf x Travis Scott went out of stock instantly? Well, you can avoid that by using sneaker bots to cop sneakers ahead of everybody else. What's more, you can combine these bots with sneaker proxies to order batches, whether for yourself or resell them to make a profit.
If you want to jump onto a sneaker hype train, we have explained how to get into the sneaker game in our dedicated blog post. This time, we will elaborate on sneaker proxies and how to pick the best one for your needs.
What Is a Sneaker Proxy?
Sneakers have an outstandingly high resale market, and some limited editions can sell ten times the initial price. Tech-savvy sneakerheads and business-minded developers came up with sneaker bots that automate the online shopping process.
Instead of manually buying a pair of sneakers, a bot simulates the purchase process and outperforms any human. This way, footwear fashion enthusiasts and sneaker collectors can bypass the long lines and grab the desired brands ahead of everybody else.
But you may quickly encounter problems. Although using bots and sneaker proxies are perfectly legal, websites do not like automated shopping. They implement anti-bot protection that uses blacklisting (blocks IP addresses that display non-human behavior), rate limiting (limits how many purchase orders a single IP address can make), user-agent inspection (analyzes HTTP request user-agent string for bot elements), and implements CAPTCHAs to stop bots.
What's more, developing AI technologies improve bot behavior pattern recognition, so sneaker copping has become a bit more challenging.
Incoming sneaker proxies. A sneaker proxy is a specialized IP address that is compatible with sneaker bots. While the bot mimics a human purchase process, sneaker proxies provide a vast pool of alternative IP addresses. This way, they obfuscate bot activities and allow placing multiple orders using different IPs, bypassing blacklisting and rate limiting.
Compared to other proxy types, the best sneaker proxies focus on speed (to cop sneakers ahead of everybody else), undetectability (to bypass discussed restrictions), availability (to be ready whenever a new sneaker brand drops), and integration with a sneaker bot. We'll elaborate on different sneaker proxies types shortly. Right now, let's see why exactly sneakerheads use sneaker proxies.
Why Do Sneakerheads Use Proxies?
The primary reason why sneakerheads use sneaker proxies is to cop limited edition sneakers. This type of footwear has become so popular that obtaining one by going to the shop physically requires great effort. Don't believe us? People are writing elaborate guides on camping out in front of the sneaker stores!
In reality, if you aren't ready to wait in a long line, risking losing your desired brand to more eager buyers, you will have to rely on online shopping. And in virtuality, you may also lose a purchase because there are so many online buyers, and some of them will use a sneaker bot combined with sneaker proxies to outplay you. That's just how it is in the massive sneaker industry.
Another reason is large bulk orders. Some people do not buy sneakers for themselves but resell them to make a profit. In this case, sneaker proxies become even more vital to avoid the detection systems we discussed in the previous chapter. It's worth noting that sneaker reselling must be done ethically to benefit sellers and consumers alike without hurting the brand itself.
It's always best to consult real sneakerheads and resellers to learn of the best sneaker copping practices. One way of doing so is by joining a sneaker cook group. These groups usually have a membership fee and provide information on sneaker drop times so that resellers have time to prepare.
By joining one, not only will you get timely information about renowned sneaker brand releases, but you can also meet people to consult about sneaker copping. Take a look at our guide on how to use sneaker cook groups to bot for more info.
Last, but not least are the geographical restrictions evasions. The World Wide Web is divided into regions with severe restrictions. For example, you may have heard of the Great Firewall of China which separates China's internet from the rest of the world. This way, Chinese residents cannot access thousands of popular Western websites, including retail sites that sell sneakers.
The same applies to Russia and the Middle East, and even some US websites are unavailable to EU users due to General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) policies.
Sneaker bot proxies help overcome these issues by having servers in multiple worldwide locations. For example, at MarsProxies, we have sneaker proxy servers in 51 locations so that you can bypass geo-blocks. Simultaneously, by connecting to a sneaker proxy server that is in the same country as the sneaker website server you may connect to the website faster to place the order ahead of everybody else.
Different Types of Sneaker Proxies
Not all sneaker proxies are equal, and different sneaker proxy types provide unique benefits but also have some setbacks. Let's take a closer look at the sneaker proxy variety to give you a better understanding of this technology.
Residential Proxies
Residential proxies are an excellent choice to cop sneakers without detection. A residential proxy uses a genuine person's device, so it is highly undetectable. Whenever you combine residential proxies with a sneaker bot, it sends purchase requests through another person's device.
This way, the website thinks that a genuine person is placing an order and lets you buy more than just a few pairs. Furthermore, the more residential proxy servers you use, the more IP addresses you get, and the more purchase orders you can place.
However, residential proxies are also often rotating proxies. This has its pluses and minuses. Rotating proxies regularly switch IP addresses, so they are suited to avoid rate-limiting. Sneaker websites often place clients according to their IPs, so whenever rotating residential proxies rotate IPs, you may be placed at the end of the line.
It's always best to pick residential sneaker proxies that can maintain a single IP address for hours or even days. Also, residential sneaker proxies can be a bit pricey.
Datacenter Proxies
In contrast, datacenter proxies are among the cheapest proxy types. Compared to residential sneaker proxies, they often provide better connection speed and uptime. That makes datacenter proxies perfectly suitable for speedy sneaker orders.
You may wonder, “Why are they cheaper than residential proxies?” The issue is that most datacenter proxies are easily identifiable, so sneaker websites can quickly ban them. Datacenter proxies, as the name suggests, are hosted in data centers. In other words, they do not appear as authentic as residential proxies since they don’t use genuine devices with residential internet connections.
However, some providers anonymize datacenter proxies to provide the best speeds at a lower cost without sacrificing an additional layer of online anonymity. This is the path that we took at MarsProxies, so you will find that our datacenter sneaker proxies are both speedy and affordable.
However, we also provide a specialized residential proxy pool optimized for sneaker copping, so you get some variety to choose from. We have written an extensive guide on how to use MarsProxies Sneaker proxies if you want to learn more.
ISP proxies
ISP (Internet service provider) proxies are like a combination of residential proxies and datacenter proxies. They are hosted on an ISP server network, which resembles a datacenter structure. However, because they belong to a specific provider that serves casual internet users, these proxies also resemble residential proxy traffic. Also, they are generally static IP proxies, so these are some of the best sneaker proxies.
How Sneaker Proxies Work in Copping
Now that we have the theory all sorted out, let's take a look at the practice. Although using sneaker proxies requires some tech know-how, especially combined with bots, you will notice there is sufficient online self-help material, and you can always come back to this article to verify you're on the right path.
How Sneaker Bots Automate the Purchasing Process
Understanding how these bots automate the purchasing process is pretty straightforward. Imagine yourself placing an order. You go to the website, create an account, log in if required, solve a CAPTCHA if needed, choose a sneaker pair you want to buy, and then complete the purchase by inputting billing details.
A sneaker bot performs the very same actions for you. A fully-developed bot can create an account, solve email verification and CAPTCHA problems, log in, and even perform two-factor authentication using configured authentication apps. They can also maintain session cookies that keep the account logged in and verify the same identity during multiple copping events.
The Role of Proxies in Enabling Multiple Purchases
Without reliable sneaker proxies, even the best bots may underperform or fail to purchase sneakers at all. As we explained previously, sneaker websites implement strict anti-bot protection, and if they identify one, they ban it. That could result in hours and days of lost time and money spent purchasing it.
Using sneaker proxies significantly minimizes such risks because they obfuscate the original IP address. You can order a bunch of static proxies and use a different IP for each order, or you can configure rotating proxies, but remember to maintain an interval sufficient for one purchase.
Key Benefits of Sneaker Proxies
Before we proceed further, let's briefly summarize the key benefits of sneaker proxies.
- Better success in sneaker copping
Using sneaker proxies increases the chances of a successful purchase because it gives you access to an unlimited number of IP addresses to simulate authentic buyers.
- Access to multiple locations
Sneaker proxy service providers smartly place their servers to overcome geographical restrictions. Suppose a popular sneaker retail site is available only in selected countries. In that case, you can connect to sneaker proxies in those locations and make your purchase as if you were physically located there.
- Protection against site blocks and bans
IP bans and rate limiting are some of the methods sneaker websites use to detect and ban bots. With sneaker proxies, you send purchase requests from a different IP each time, so even if one is detected and blocked, you can continue shopping using a different one.
How to Choose the Best Sneaker Proxy?
With an increasing demand for automated sneaker purchases, numerous proxy service providers aim to satisfy consumer needs. While having options is good, sometimes it can be challenging to make an informed decision. Here's what to consider to choose the best sneaker proxy.
- Speed and reliability
Sneaker proxies are a lot about speed to grab that latest fashion trend ahead of everyone else. Whether you're using datacenter, ISP, or residential proxies, it is of utmost importance they provide the best connection speed possible.
- Location coverage and price
Due to limited stock and exclusive releases, many sneaker retail platforms are geographically restricted to a specific location. You can overcome geo-blocks by connecting to a proxy server in a location where your desired sneaker brand is sold.
- Compatibility with sneaker bots
It is certainly possible to use proxies without a bot to grab a few pairs of New Balance 550, but you may still lose them to faster buyers. A sneaker bot places your orders much faster, so make sure your sneaker proxies are compatible with the most popular ones, like NikeShoeBot (NSB), KIKSS, or MEKAIO.
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Using Sneaker Proxies
Sneaker copping may sound easy at first glance, but there are more than a few nuances to be aware of. Here are the most common mistakes you should avoid to achieve the best results.
- Using free or shared proxies
While free or shared proxies may sound tempting to save funds, they do not provide sufficient quality for sneaker copping. Most of the time, you will encounter a slow connection speed and fail to get ahead of the line before the sneaker drop is sold out.
- Misconfiguring proxies with bots
Be particularly cautious when configuring proxies with a bot. Make sure it is configured to match the proxy IP address, rotate IPs at required intervals, and simulate a human-like behavior to avoid detection and bans.
Best Practices for Effective Sneaker Copping
So you have prepared until the very end and are ready to cop your first batch of top-notch sneakers! Here are a few pieces of advice that will give you a heads up.
Combining Proxies With Efficient Sneaker Bots
Even if you're not planning on buying and reselling sneakers, a fast bot is beneficial for individual purchases also. Combine your sneaker proxies with the most popular copping bots to ensure you receive your order. Some of the most popular are:
- NikeShoeBot consistently shows excellent performance on numerous sneaker sites.
- CYBERSOLE is known for its speed and efficiency with Kanye West's fashionable Yeezy and other drops.
- MEKAIO is not limited to sneakers but will help you get other limited products as well.
How to Properly Set Up Multiple Accounts to Avoid Detection
Lastly, you will need accounts on popular sneaker retail sites to place your orders successfully. Make sure to use different credentials for each account, including email, shipping address, and payment method. Continuously update your proxy pool to minimize detection risk, and do not reuse the same proxy server for multiple accounts.
Conclusion
Entering the sneaker copping and reselling market can be challenging. The supply is limited, and the competition is fierce, especially when the celebrity limited editions drop. However, once you master sneaker proxies and bots, you will notice a higher success rate. If you configure your bots and proxies correctly, the whole process becomes automated, requiring only proxy pool and bot configuration updates.
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