Why You Should Buy Used Shoes

Shoes are something that everyone must wear to get through everyday life. Some people don’t care what they have on their feet. Some care a little too much and want to comment on others. I’ve come today to bring about a new way for many people to look into buying shoes: the used section. 

Shoes for me are life changing. It’s a nice hobby to get yourself into, and honestly it can be a good side hustle if you put in the work to get exposure. I’ll never forget the sneakers that forever made me a sneakerhead: the LeBron 10 “Easter” colorway. The memories I have of playing basketball in them in middle school are unmatched, and although they weren’t the most impressive shoes, it made me realize my love and appreciation for shoes in general.

The most heavily slept on method of buying shoes, for awhile now, has been buying used. When people hear “used” shoes they tend to shy away from the category, but I’m here to tell you that this is where you’ll actually make some of your greatest purchases and at the best prices. I think people often overlook the appeal of the used section because of their egos. People don’t want to buy used because they think the shoe is not as high of quality, when in reality some rare gems in this category might have been worn only a single time. 

The used label is not equivalent to beat up, old, or in bad condition; a shoe becomes permanently labeled as used after the very first wear. This is known as VNDS (very near deadstock) which is typically what I shoot for because not only are they barely used, but shoes that were 500 dollars before all the sudden become 300 dollars off of a single wear. The last downfall of used shoes is the possibility of the seller not having the original box or tags, but this can be easily avoided due to the individual descriptions that each reselling company places on their websites below each and every shoe.

Junior Reece Sutton said, “While it depends on the quality of the specific pair of shoes, used shoes are a great option for people who don’t have hundreds of thousands for sneakers. There are definitely a lot of great pairs that have only been worn a few times, but cost a fraction of the original price. As a high school kid, you can’t really beat that.”

Nick Nall, a junior, said, “I think that for most people, buying used shoes that are in good condition makes more sense than buying brand new shoes. I say this because for starters there is a very small amount of time of wearing a shoe that it looks brand new so it is going to look like a used shoe after just a few wears. Also, shoes that are out of your price range become much more obtainable once you look into buying them used.”

Junior Ty Starke commented, “I think it’s a smart option because you can get the same product for a cheaper price. If you know how to shop well, finding used shoes in great condition isn’t too hard.”

Trevor Schubert, a sophomore, shared, “I prefer buying used because there is better profit margins for me in used because I can get a better deal compared to if I buy new. There are lower margins and less money to be made.”

There isn’t much I can tell you about new shoes that you don’t already know; if you have the money I see no reason not to go this route. There is certainly something irreplaceable about the feeling of getting a fresh-out-of-the-box pair of shoes, and if prices are not a factor to you, new shoes will likely always be superior. However, based on the fact that this is a news platform for a high school, the majority of the demographic are likely high school students—most not having a surplus of money to throw at a single pair of shoes. 

Buying shoes at retail will always guarantee you the highest quality experience for the money that you are willing to spend. The sneakers come straight from the original supplier, or a reseller, both with the original packaging, quality, everything else that comes with them.

Both sides have their pros and cons, and both will forever be respected in the sneaker community. New shoes being cleaner, but at the same time more expensive, and used being obviously not deadstock, but much more cost efficient (what I call balling on a budget). New will forever be the more popular of the two, but this is why I think of used as sort of a dark horse that needs some light shed on it. Most consumers have the preconception that there is something gross or less valuable about a used pair of shoes — obviously this is not the case. There is little damage that can be done to shoes that is completely irreversible. Even the most damaged and disregarded shoes can be restored to their former glory.