Tips & Techniques To Copping Sneakers Online

Source: STEPHANE DE SAKUTIN / Getty

Let us guess, you’ve taken yet another “L” on that highly anticipated sneaker drop that you’ve been waiting on for the past few weeks and feel the universe has it in for you and just you.

While we’re sure you’re more than likely punching the air like Tre in Boyz N The Hood and cursing the sneaker Gods to oblivion, it’s okay, we’ve all been there and will continue to visit. Especially in this day and age when waiting on line and camping out overnight has been replaced by online raffles and sneakerbots that eat up merchandise at the speed of light.

Still, there are a few things you can do to up your chances of taking home that seemingly elusive “W.”

HipHopWired is looking to help the everyday sneaker aficionado with tips and tricks on how to have Nike or adidas finally take your money in exchange for fresh to death kicks without the use of sneakerbots. Some of these techniques work and others are rumored to help, but still, if you want to catch that W then you should definitely try some of these methods out.

Get High-Speed Internet

Source: Danai Nithisakunman / EyeEm / Getty

This is a no brainer to be honest. You can’t get to the front of the digital line if you’re internet is as slow as Biggie’s flow on “What’s Beef?” Given this tip is basically mute when it comes to raffles and LEO drops (kind of like a raffle without being a raffle), but when it comes to copping kicks that drop on a first come first serve basis, the speed of your internet is first and foremost the most important factor to take into account. That being said you also have to make sure your router is up to date as well. Makes no sense to get fast internet speed if your router can’t pump it out as quick as it gets it, feel us?

Social Media Accounts

Now that you have high-speed internet at your disposal, following certain social media accounts will definitely help you get the drop on, well, drops. Personally this writer has experienced his fair share of wins thanks to Twitter accounts like Sole Links and J23.

Almost as soon as some exclusive kicks release or are restocked, these accounts (or their apps) will alert their followers of the drop and provide links to them giving heads a fighting chance to secure a pair or two. These links are especially helpful for anyone who doesn’t want to pay the monthly fee that comes with joining “Cook Groups” who monitor releases the same way but charge its members anywhere from $30-$40 a month for their services. Though cook groups do provide other services to help its members catch “W”’s, Sole Links and J23 do tend to come through in the clutch for a service that’s basically free. Heck, I even caught a PS5 and XBOX Series X thanks to Sole Links. Props to them for that.

Download All The Apps On EVERYTHING You Own

Source: Nike / NIke

Create as many SNKRS and adidas accounts as you can including on your tablets and iPads as it can only improve your chances. Whether you have your girlfriend, siblings, nephews and nieces or even your mama create accounts on their phones (my mama’s account done netted me many a “W” on SNKRS), it doesn’t hurt to have them help you support your sneaker habit. Some heads even keep an extra phone or two in service just for this tactic.

Once you do have these things going make sure you swipe out any other apps you might have running in the background as you’ll want your device to focus all of its energy towards whichever sneakers app you’re using to copp those coveted kicks. With that said, don’t be afraid to use thumb recognition for your password. Yes, we know you don’t want “big brother” having that kind of info on ya, but we’re talking about kicks here. Typing out your password every time you try to get a hype drop is precious time wasted. Thumb recognition is fast and convenient as opposed to typing out your minimum 6 letter password with one capital letter, a number and special character or whatever. Also the thumb print seems to be faster than face recognition, so keep that in mind.

Source: SNKRS / NIke

Aside from that, word is spreading that the more you interact with Nike’s SNKRS app (such as watching their videos, liking their sneakers and sharing their content) the better the chance you’ll be noticed and given preference when it comes to getting early or exclusive access to highly anticipated sneaker drops. Messages notifying users that they’re getting access to dunks for watching videos centered around the creation of the SB Dunks have supported this theory and led many to watch every damn video ever released on SNKRS in hopes of improving their chances of joining “Team Early.”

Did y’all find any of these tips helpful? Are y’all doing any of these things already? Have any tips of your own? Let us know in the comments.