Except your principal residence has been the underside of a boulder for the final decade, you’re doubtless conscious that sneaker reselling at the moment is huge enterprise. The artwork of flipping sneakers has became an incredibly lucrative industry, one forecast by Cowen Equity Research to be price $30 billion by 2030. In different phrases, for those who’ve by no means thought-about promoting your kicks on-line, maybe it’s time you probably did. There’s, in any case, a large pile of cash mendacity at your toes.
Fortuitously, eBay—the OG market of alternative for sneakerheads—is on a mission to make enterprise simpler for Canadian resellers. In a bid to reassert its place within the trade, the e-commerce large has been busy rolling out new initiatives, from eliminating vendor charges for sneakers over $100 to launching a complete Authenticity Guarantee program, permitting collectors to relaxation assured that the Jordans or Yeezys they’re trying to cop are the true McCoy. And now, eBay simply introduced they’re extending Authenticity Assure so Canadians can promote authenticated kicks to the biggest sneaker market on the earth—america. This can be a big W for Canadian sneakerheads.
Although on-line sneaker resale marketplaces have proliferated over the past half-decade, eBay remains to be one of many largest, with a pair of sneakers offered each 4 seconds throughout North America. Final 12 months alone, eBay’s Canadian sneaker gross sales grew by 325 %. So, you see why the corporate’s eager to double down on its efforts within the shoe area. On high of tapping Mississauga-born NBA star and eBay sneaker shopper RJ Barrett to advertise the Authenticity Assure program, this 12 months eBay appointed a Head of Sneakers in Canada, Shireen Edross. Yup, that’s an actual job.
We requested Edross about what separates eBay from the competitors, the best-selling sneakers within the nation, the costliest kicks ever purchased by a Canadian on the platform, and what precisely her gig entails.
So, you’re the Head of Sneakers at eBay. Fairly dope job title. What’s it that you simply do?
It’s actually my dream job. Every thing and something to do with sneakers is my ardour. I couldn’t have envisioned something higher once I was rising up, however right here I’m. I contact every part on sneakers for eBay, from the authentication heart all the way in which to working with sellers to develop their companies, advertising campaigns for patrons, working with charity organizations that align with what we’re doing with sneakers and with eBay’s DNA. However general, I’m solely chargeable for actually making eBay the highest vacation spot for sneakers in Canada, for patrons and sellers.
Effectively, then let’s simply get proper to it. Make the case for me: Why is eBay the place to purchase and promote sneakers proper now?
Truthfully, for sellers, we’re placing cash proper again into their pockets. It’s free to promote sneakers on eBay. We don’t cost a factor. So proper there, we’re already giving 9 to 12 % again to sellers [compared to] our rivals who’re charging that a lot. For patrons as effectively, we’re not charging for the authentication course of proper now, so you may be certain that your sneakers are legit at no further cost.
Clearly, as of late, there are extra sneaker reselling avenues than ever that folks can take. So what units you other than the competitors?
We’re the unique. We’re the OG market for sneakers, for locating the uncommon, unfindable sneakers on the market. And now we’re simply persevering with so as to add extra to this system. We additionally know the sneaker neighborhood likes to present again. We assist numerous charities. Not too long ago we labored with One Extra Put on, a neighborhood charity, for a back-to-school incentive to assist convey them consciousness. Additionally, eBay is without doubt one of the solely platforms the place there’s a charity at checkout, giving patrons the chance to present again. We labored with The Kickback Connect to record them as a [charity] to donate to at checkout. And we’re simply getting began.
However on high of that, in Canada, we’re the one reseller of pre-owned sneakers, and that’s big. There’s such a marketplace for these. I’ve been listening to podcasts and a few actual OG sneakerheads love their pre-owned kicks. They love that they don’t should spend as a lot or they’re already worn in. So, being able to additionally legit examine these pre-worns simply units us aside.
![Sneakers featuring eBay's Authenticity Guarantee tag](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 135 76"%3E%3C/svg%3E)
As you had been saying, eBay is the OG sneaker market, however being the primary comes with its challenges. You guys had your fair proportion of issues with counterfeit sneakers prior to now. Have you ever ever been burned with pretend kicks personally?
No, as a result of I used to be all the time afraid. I didn’t need to be the one to get obtained [laughs]. So my assortment was majority retail, in full transparency, for a few years till I began working at eBay and actually understood the sturdy protocols and insurance policies they’ve in place that shield patrons, like our Money Back Guarantee. eBay has lengthy been an trade chief within the battle towards counterfeits, however our Authenticity Assure program for sneakers takes the belief issue to an entire different stage. We’ve a devoted heart right here in Canada and companion with third-party authenticator, Sneaker Con. We’re utilizing the precise specialists within the sneaker authentication enterprise to do that for us. We even have tamper-proof NFC tags—not like a few of the different ones on the market, you may’t simply take off certainly one of our tags, stick them onto one other sneaker, and say it’s legit. I really feel there is no such thing as a cause to not belief us. We’re set as much as be probably the most reliable platform.
I do know eBay just lately opened up the authentication program to incorporate southbound promoting for Canadians to allow them to promote sneakers to People. Why is that such a recreation changer?
Now we’re actually giving Canadian companies and Canadian sneaker sellers entry to one of many world’s largest sneaker-buying markets. I imply, we’re speaking the U.S. Their numbers are thousands and thousands and thousands and thousands greater than us. Even their greenback, by way of their shopping for energy in Canada, is bigger than ours. They’ve a extremely massive threshold earlier than they pay duties and taxes versus us. So, all these are nice issues that profit Canadian sellers…. We’ve added in that actually good layer of belief with the Authenticity Assure program, so now when a Canadian is promoting into the States, it’s coming to the authentication heart, which takes care of transport it out to the U.S. It’s a lot simpler for the sellers; they don’t have to fret concerning the further paperwork, further steps, or further prices to get issues to the U.S. You simply have to fret about getting your sneakers to us and that’s it.
Have you ever observed any variations in style between Canadians and People? Are there sure developments resonating extra within the U.S. than in Canada, or vice versa?
Truthfully, no. We’re fairly aligned with our neighbours; we like sizzling collabs and new drops simply as a lot as they do. So, what we’re discovering extra is that we actually need to attempt to get the stock that the U.S. is getting. We actually need these Travis Scott 1 Frags, which weren’t launched right here. I feel the tradition is the tradition. It’s the identical whether or not it’s right here or the U.S.—we like our Jordan 1s and Air Pressure 1s, which we’re seeing numerous on the positioning.
What’s been the best-selling sneaker in Canada on eBay this 12 months?
The perfect-selling sneakers in Canada to date, because the launch of the authenticity program in Might, have been the Air Jordan 4 “White Oreo.” These had been undoubtedly sizzling and nonetheless are; we’re nonetheless seeing them come by way of due to the stock. When the Oreos got here out they had been such a very good comparability to the Cements. Everybody beloved the Cements, so once they had the chance to attempt getting one thing very related, that was actually sizzling. Additionally only in the near past, Jordan introduced out the Pollens, as play to the Wu-Tang Dunks that got here out again within the day. These are tremendous sizzling in Canada too.
Oh boy, the issues I’d do for a pair of these authentic Wu-Tang Dunks.
So dope. Yeah. I imply, I’m certain they’re on eBay. I’m simply unsure if I need to spend that quantity [laughs].
Yeah, they’re going for a down fee, basically. Talking of which, what’s the costliest shoe ever purchased by a Canadian on eBay? Do you occur to know?
I do know that, truly! It occurred this March. We labored with Doernbecher within the U.S. on their charity; they’d some customized “What The” Air Jordan 1s made. There was an public sale for it and all the cash went to the Doernbecher hospital, and a Canadian bought a pair of the Doernbechers for about $66,000 CAD. It was a tremendous collab. One in every of our VPs truly hand-delivered the pair; he occurs to stay in Portland, the place Doernbecher is, so he was like, “Neglect it. I’m simply gonna go decide them up and ship them to the middle.
Insane! There actually are folks out right here spending that a lot on sneakers. OK, let’s speak extra warmth. What are probably the most in-demand sneakers this season?
Ah, that Travis Scott. He will get us each time. Undoubtedly the collabs; they’re all the time in excessive demand, not simply on our web site, however all over the place. So, the Jordan 1 Travis Scott x Fragment and the Off-White x Nike Dunk Low “The 50”—these are undoubtedly extremely wanted, checked out, and looked for on our web site. However exterior of these collabs, it’s the retro Jordans. They’re all the time, all the time in demand.
We’re seeing extra folks turning their ardour for kicks into full-on companies. Any recommendation for somebody trying to make a residing off reselling sneakers?
It’s easy—if you wish to do this, simply get began. Begin small with your personal assortment and construct up from there. I don’t really feel I’m probably the most certified particular person to be giving any profession recommendation [laughs], however what I’ll say is comply with your ardour. It’s cliche however so true. I adopted mine and right here I’m. In case your ardour is sneakers and promoting them to folks, you’ll discover a approach. And we make it simple on eBay; we now have so many applications, promoting suggestions, and information classes that we are able to hook a vendor up with in the event that they really feel overwhelmed. We are able to stroll them by way of the entire course of. It’s a good way for us to come back collectively as a neighborhood and provides finest practices. Plus, it’s free to list and sell collectible sneakers—so there may be completely no threat in simply making an attempt.
