Buying new sneakers is always a good idea, but the best way to do it varies by what you need. If you want the latest limited edition Air Jordans, conventional purchasing methods aren’t going to give you them. Too many people are competing for them at the same time, so you have to be smart.
Using proxies to buy sneakers is essential to being on top of the sneaker game. But proxies are only a part of the equation, so let us start from the beginning.
Sneaker copping
Sneaker copping is the act of purchasing limited-edition sneakers in high quantities. Successful copping is the goal of sneakerheads – people collecting those shoes as a hobby or for resale value. The sneakers (or kicks) are most valuable the moment they are released (or dropped), so new releases commonly attract large numbers of sneakerheads.
They coordinate their actions and share knowledge with one another in closed Discord or Slack channels called cook groups. To join such groups, you have to do some research and even pay a joining fee. However, cook groups are worth every penny as most of the know-how about tools and drops is there.
Most sneaker vendors, especially popular ones like Nike, limit sneaker copping and fight against resellers. It damages their business model as only a few people can claim the whole supply of sneakers. Different methods – from rules in Terms and Conditions to visitor monitoring – are taken to restrict sneaker copping.
Depending on the kicks you target and the defenses of the vendor, you will need to use different tools and tactics. For example, copping limited edition Air Jordans will require both a Nike bot and Nike proxies, but for a simple release, just the latter might be enough.
When you don’t need a bot?
Most sneakerheads indeed use sneaker bots, but before panic buying an expensive bot, you need to evaluate whether the releases you are after really require one. Many beginners overestimate the difficulty of drops. Even though most of them are labeled as Limited, it doesn’t mean they are impossible to cop manually.
Limited release only means there’s a defined amount of sneakers produced, and it will be released only once or twice. That amount, however, might be so large that it makes the sneakers less valuable but also easier to cop without a bot.
Some Nike sneakers drop in many color variations and some less popular ones are easy to acquire manually. Therefore, if you are willing to purchase a less popular color and resell sneakers for a bit less profit, a bot is unnecessary for you.
To cop manually, you need to install a couple of browser add-ons, memorize the website and be the first to a drop. You should be successful after just a couple of attempts. All it takes is a bit of resilience and a proxy.
Why do you always need a proxy?
Proxies are an essential part of sneaker copping, overcoming crucial defenses imposed by sneaker websites. Proxies act as relays between you and the sneaker vendor, so when you connect to a site like Nike.com, you first go to the proxy server and then to the destination website.
Since proxy servers, like every other device on the internet, have an IP address. You can choose this IP address to be from any location and of a needed type, so the sneaker website will not be able to impose its restrictions.
Account limitations are in place for most sneaker vendors. They define them in the Terms and Conditions you have to agree with them before buying anything. Even if you don’t register, you will have to provide your information and consent.
Usually, they limit purchases to only a couple of pairs per account. The only way to bypass such restrictions is to create multiple accounts. Purchasing with multiple accounts is a violation of rules, however, which can be detected by checking visitors’ details.
Emails, contact details, payment methods and IP addresses are checked to link multiple accounts to one person. IP addresses are the hardest to change as most machines have a static one. Proxies, however, can provide a workaround.
Geo-restricting is the act of limiting the website’s content for users based on their geographical location. It is a way for sites like Nike to localize their drops and only sell sneakers to a selected region. Monitoring IP addresses is crucial for imposing this restriction.
With proxies, you can change your IP address and display a needed region to the sneaker vendor. So, if a drop is happening on the other side of the world, you can still participate. It increases your chances of success as you can target more drops in more timezones.
Sneaker proxies
Sneaker proxies are a particular kind made to work best while copping sneakers. In contrast to ordinary proxies, providers test them before delivering them to customers. It is common to try them for at least three features:
- Ban-free IP addresses are the most important characteristic of sneaker proxies. An IP address might be fast and well-performing in other tasks, but if it isn’t ban-free on sites where you want to cop sneakers, it will be useless for you.
- Speed is the second most important metric. Sneaker proxy providers choose the best proxies and put them closest to the sneaker sites servers to maximize the performance.
- Relevant locations are a priority for some sites. Nike.com, for example, will make it more difficult for you to shop if your IP location is unsupported. Sneaker proxies consist of a selection of IP addresses from supported locations.
Some proxies are tested more specifically for best performance with certain sneaker brands. Such are Nike proxies, made to guarantee the best possible performance when copping multiple Nike sneakers.
Conclusion
Employing proxies to buy Nike sneakers is a great idea because they are essential for sneaker copping. A good Nike proxy is even more important than a bot. Copping without proxies is a waste of time.
