Real Stories from the Community

"I thought I was getting a deal on Yeezy 350 Pirate Blacks for $800. Seller had 200+ feedback, photos looked legit. When they arrived, boost felt off immediately. Took them to a local consignment shop and got laughed out - high-quality fakes. eBay sided with seller because I waited 3 weeks to open dispute. Never again buying without authentication."

"Entered the Confirmed raffle not expecting anything. Got the W on Wales Bonner Cream Sambas. Retail was $180, immediately listed on StockX for $420. Sold in 8 hours. After fees (~$50) and shipping ($15), netted $355 profit. Covered half my rent that month. Changed my whole approach to sneakers - now I enter every raffle for resellable collabs."

"Found beat 2005 Superstars at a thrift for £8. Yellowed soles, dirty leather, but good bones. Spent a weekend learning sole restoration - hydrogen peroxide treatment, leather conditioning, lace replacement. Total investment: £25. Now they look deadstock and I've restored 12 more pairs for friends. Turned into a side hustle charging £40 per restoration."

"Everyone said go TTS on Sambas. I'm US 10 in everything. Bought US 10 Sambas, they were way too tight. Researched after and learned Sambas run narrow - should've sized up to 10.5. Store had no-return policy on sale items. Ended up selling at a $30 loss locally. Now I ALWAYS check model-specific sizing before buying."

"Back when camping was still a thing, I waited 14 hours outside a boutique for Yeezy 700 Wave Runners. Met 3 other guys in line, we bonded over sneaker stories. All copped our pairs. Seven years later, we're still a group chat, trade sneakers, help each other with raffles, and meet up quarterly. The shoes are cool, but the community is what keeps me in the game."