For the average sneaker wearer, getting your hands on an exclusive or limited pair of sneakers is no easy feat, especially when you’re up against high ranking sneakerheads. The inclusion of sneaker raffles provide a balance and allow Joe or Josephine equal opportunity to purchase sneakers at retail price as opposed to the inflated resale price. The purpose of this article is to get you clued up on how sneaker raffles work, the advantages and disadvantages, and what are the best raffles to take part in.
What is a sneaker raffle and how does it work?
A sneaker raffle is when a lucky winner or winners is provided with the opportunity to purchase pair of sneakers that are highly anticipated and the demand outweighs the supply. As mentioned, the raffle provides an equal playing field and allows all participants an equal chance to win. Before raffling, the common way for anyone to buy a sort-after sneaker was to either queue/camp outside the store for hours or have an inside person to purchase under the radar. For the average person, the sound of those options can be disheartening but the sneaker raffle provides an alternative option.
A common question asked is “how does a sneaker raffle work?”, Well It’s quite simple. The retailer will have a dedicated landing page on their website or app where users can make an entry into the raffle. Some retailers limit the number of entries a person can make, this is to make the raffle fair for all participants. To secure your entry, the raffle landing page will ask for some basic information, as well as require you to make a pre-payment for the sneakers at retail price. This part of the process is to remove any time wasters and those who may not have sufficient funds to purchase the sneakers. But don’t worry, if you do not win the payment will not be processed. From when the raffle landing page is made active there is usually a window for users to sign up for the raffle, this timeframe is at the digression of the retailer. Once the raffle has ended, the retailer will select at random the winners and alert them that they have won. The winners will have the option to either collect their sneaker within the store or be sent to their address.
Just with anything in life, there are advantages and disadvantages, so to manage your expectations, we’ve listed a few for each we found to be important.
Advantages
- Level playing field
- No need to queue outside retail stores
- Can enter a raffle from your mobile device
- Can enter as many different sneaker raffles as you want
Disadvantages
- Potentially up against hundreds or thousands of participants
- Users could cheat by making multiple entries using different accounts
- Limited window entry
The 5 best sneaker raffles sites?
Now that you’re clued up on what sneaker raffles are and how they work, all that is left for you to do is enter. Don’t worry, we won’t let you go in blind and sign up for Gods knows what, so we’ve shortlisted our top five respectable retailers and brands for sneaker raffles so you can get your feet wet.
Sneakersnstuff
Issa Raffle, but why? We are consistently working hard to provide you with the best release process possible and in our opinion, a Raffle is the fairest way to sell sneakers where the demands exceed the pairs we are getting.
Visit their sneaker raffle page here.
END.
Housing a range of the most noteworthy names in contemporary menswear including Off-White, Acne Studios, Stone Island Shadow Project, Comme des Garcons, Moncler, and more, alongside the titans of sneakers and sportswear Nike and Adidas, END.
Visit their sneaker raffle page here.
Footpatrol
Footpatrol is London’s best-known destination sneaker store, with a history in supplying the most exclusive footwear. Originally opened in 2002, and relocated to its new store in 2010, it has been at the heart of supplying the sneaker fraternity with the most desirable footwear.
Visit their sneaker raffle page here.
Solesuppliers
More often than not, high-heat sneakers will now launch via raffle release at select retailers across the internet. In order to make the launch fairer, raffles require the user to sign up with personal details prior to the release date in order to be entered into a draw to win the opportunity to purchase the pair.
Visit their sneaker raffle page here.
Kickz
As one of the leading online shops for premium sneakers and urban fashion, we always provide you with the newest models of the most popular brands. KICKZ is known as the expert for sneakerheads and street couture enthusiasts alike.
Visit their sneaker raffle page here.
That’s it! We’ve taken you from a novice in sneaker raffles to all-knowing in 5 minutes. Let us know how you get on by either sending us a DM with the sneakers that you’ve won or tag us in your post by using @footwearbeast on Instagram. But please raffle responsibly, do not overleverage yourself financially by the number of raffles you enter as the majority of raffles do require pre-payment to successfully enter. Go luck!