Gone are the days when customers would stand in long lines and camp outside stores to get their hands on the limited-edition drops but now times have changed and getting your hands on an upcoming sneaker is not easy as it was.

When it comes to online releases and buying you̵7;re up against botters who cop the limited edition sneaker before you even think about it. So, considering the current covid situation and increased number of botters, Footsites are now moving towards sneaker raffles.

What are sneaker raffles?

baadae2248556ab46ce827abfa78861b
Via Mathijs Boogaert

A sneaker raffle is what you call a “draw”. When a retailer offers you a sneaker raffle it means that they are providing the customers with an equal opportunity to win the pair of sneakers fair and square. Same chances as a botter!

The raffle mechanism is usually put into place when demand for the sneaker exceeds its supply.

So, everyone who joined the raffle will now have an equal chance of winning the latest Jordan, Yeezys, Nike, and other popular sneakers. Once the raffle period is over the retailer will choose the winner at random and notify them of their winning.

Sneaker raffles to battle bots and long queues?

nike sneaker raffle
Via Nike

In recent years, many brands and retailers like Nike and Footlocker, have switched to the raffle system to eliminate the unfair advantage of bots. In 2015 Nike held a raffle system where you would need a verified Nike account to enter and winners were emailed the details.

Sneaker raffles work well against bots because they connect the purchase to something tangible. The raffle winners might have to appear in person and provide identification, such as a credit card or driver’s license.

To enter raffles you might also be required to follow a few steps like liking their Facebook page or commenting on their post which might not completely eliminate the bot factor but at least limit it.

Finally, sneaker raffles reduced the tense atmosphere created by lengthy shop queues. There have been several reported instances of releases devolving into violence, necessitating police action, which a raffle may have avoided.

Some disadvantages of sneaker raffles

It’s not all sunshine and rainbows with sneaker raffles, let’s dive into the dark side.

  • The gold standard for a fair buying procedure is first-come, first-served. It may be very irritating for the sneakerhead community, where staying on top of the newest trends, launches, and collaborations is an extreme sport, yet everything is left to chance.
  • Raffles are prone to multiple entries. Sneakerheads often bring multiple friends and family for the in-person raffles to increase their chance of winning with multiple enteries.
  • The hype of a big launch is deflated due to increased wait time between joining, winning or losing.
  • Raffles are not transparent and sometimes store managers can be pulling names out of a hat for their buddies, or consumers bribing store managers to choose their name.

Check out our blog if you’re interested in more material, sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss out on important information.

Companies and retailers that offer sneaker raffles

Does it end here? Conclusion

Screen Shot 2021 12 29 at 5.55.47 PM
Via Hyperrafflebot

Raffles may have decreased the violence during releases and formed some kind of fairness but the re-sellers and programmers didn’t give up and developed bots to fight the raffle system.

There are bots in the market like Hyperrafflebot that fight the raffle system to acquire sneakers quicker than anybody else and resell them for a profit.

While the war between them is on we shouldn’t be affected by it and this is where Six Figure Sneakerhead comes in with all the valuable information and tips to help you make profits from reselling sneakers and how to cop them.

For more insider knowledge check out our cook group the Winner’s Circle.

Take your reselling game to the next level

Author

Avatar

Sarim A

Thanks to sports, Sarim's love for sneakers began and has grown ever since. He's been part of the sneaker culture for many years, seeing it evolve and grow more serious over time. A particular favorite pair of sneakers for him is the Air Jordan 3 'White Cement'

Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *