Sneakers rocketed into mainstream fashion in the 1980s, partly thanks to the influence of U.S. hip-hop culture and the National Basketball Association.
Because sneakers have yet to fade from popularity, new styles and designs are constantly being released.
Vintage sneaker designs from decades past also remain popular. However, vintage sneakers are often discontinued and highly sought after, so buyers must shell out some serious cash for authentic sneakers or risk buying knock-off goods.
The rise of e-commerce platforms has led to an increase in counterfeit goods on the market, and sneaker and athletic industries are not immune.
Luckily, resale platforms like StockX exist to help shoe collectors purchase authentic products. StockX specializes in connecting sellers and buyers, and products sold on StockX must be new, unworn, authentic, and packaged in original packaging.
1. Is StockX Reliable?
StockX is a reliable platform and uses its own rigorous authentication to make transactions safe.
Since its inception, StockX has verified more than 35 million products.
The company stands behind the products it sells, even going so far as to offer what it calls a “Buyer Promise,” which allows purchasers to fill out a support request form within ten days of receiving a product if they are unhappy for any reason.
StockX co-founder Josh Luber stepped down as CEO in 2019 to pursue interests outside of the company (Credit: WENN)
StockX was founded in 2015 by Dan Gilbert, Josh Luber, Greg Schwartz, and Chris Kaufman. The four co-founders aimed to disrupt the e-commerce industry and focused on the second-hand sneaker market.
Along with GOAT, StockX is among the biggest names in the sneaker resale market.
2. Does StockX Sell Fake Products?
StockX does not sell fake products. The StockX platform aims to provide a reliable place for buyers to shop and a lucrative place for sellers offering authentic goods.
The Detroit startup does not condone the sale of fake or illegal products.
The Detroit-based company StockX is a legit online marketplace for buying and selling sneakers (Credit: T. Schneider / Shutterstock)
Sellers who list fake products will face penalties on StockX, such as suspensions and life-long bans.
If a seller attempts to list a counterfeit or misrepresented product on StockX, the company won’t return the product to the seller. In fact, StockX may even turn these items over to the relevant authorities.
StockX boasts that, as of September 2023, it has rejected $90 million worth of products that didn’t meet verification standards and has stopped nearly $30 million worth of fake sneakers from trading on the platform.
3. How Does StockX Work?
The StockX platform is relatively straightforward for buyers.
Shoe purchasers can sign up for an account and link a payment method. After creating an account, buyers can browse the site, bid on shoes, or pay the straight asking price for an item.
After winning a bid or paying the asking price, sneakers will be delivered with accompanying authentication paperwork.
Originally released in April 1985 during Michael Jordan’s rookie season with the Chicago Bulls, these Air Jordan 1 High sneakers sell for $15,000 on StockX
The process is fairly similar for sellers. Sneaker owners can sign up for an account and list products for sale, either with an asking price or by using a bid system.
Once a product has been sold, sellers send items to StockX for authentication. From there, StockX handles delivery, and sellers will receive their payment from StockX.
StockX allows you to bid on the rarest and most desired sneakers created
StockX advertises an easy-to-use platform with built-in guarantees.
The company advocates transparency for all your sneaker and athleticwear needs.
4. How Does the Authentication Process Work?
StockX is committed to authentic products and manages its own authentication process. StockX believes it has an outstanding approach and claims that only 0.3% of buyers are unhappy with their purchase.
There are two primary steps to this authentication process:
Step one is verification
StockX will use its verification process to ensure that listed products actually match their descriptions. StockX will check size, color, conditions, and other invoice listings.
The second step is authentication
StockX employs authenticators who check the product packaging, materials, and construction. This process is similar to a multi-point inspection, and every single product on the StockX platform goes through it.
Sneakers purchased on StockX always come with a recognizable green tag attached that says “Verified” and “Authentic” (Credit: Shutterstock / Primakov)
Because StockX employees have verified more than 35 million products, StockX feels confident in its verification process.
In addition to using experienced employees, StockX uses tools such as machine learning to analyze the technologies embedded in products to assess product risk and ensure authenticity.
StockX has quality assurance experts on hand to assist throughout the process.
5. What is StockX’s Shipping Policy?
StockX buyers will pay shipping costs for new items. StockX sellers will pay shipping costs unless they are based in the U.S.
Because StockX verifies and authenticates all products sold via its platform, shipping it a two-step process. That means that a buyer can expect to receive their product in seven-to-12 business days.
The most expensive Nike skateboarding sneakers on the market, the Paris Dunks featuring the workings of French painter Bernard Buffet, retail for up to $65,000
First, sellers will mail sneakers to StockX for authentication. While StockX requests sellers ship sneakers within two days, StockX cannot always enforce the policy. Buyers are asked to contact StockX support if sellers don’t ship products within two days.
After StockX receives sneakers from the seller, the authentication process takes a few business days. StockX employees don’t work on weekends or holidays, so buyers must note the difference between calendar days and business days.
Once StockX completes product authentication, items will ship to a buyer.
StockX does offer tracking services for sellers, as delays can occur due to postal mishaps or high sales volumes.
In major cities such as London and New York, you will find StockX drop-off locations where you can hand over your sold items in person and kickstart the authentication and payout process (Credit: Valerii Eidlin / Shutterstock)
StockX is not responsible for damages that are incurred during the shipping process. If a buyer receives a product that appears to have been damaged during shipping, they are asked to contact customer service as soon as possible.
6. What is StockX’s Return Policy?
StockX operates as a live market and does not allow returns.
However, buyers can resell anything they purchase from StockX. The item’s value has already been established because products purchased from StockX come with authentication certification.
Buyers can also re-sell unwanted products on sites like eBay and GOAT.
The 2019 Air Jordan 11 Retro “Bred” is one of the most frequently sold sneakers on StockX
If an ordered product does not ship, StockX will attempt to find another item that matches the parameters.
If they cannot do so, a buyer’s money will be refunded. StockX does not consider this a return.
7. How Long Does It Take to Process a StockX Order?
The time it takes StockX to process an order depends on the day of the week (since StockX is closed on weekends and holidays) and available shipping services. StockX aims to complete an entire transaction in seven-to-10 business days.
Even though StockX is based in Detroit, it has a verification center in Hong Kong to support customers in the Asia Pacific region. Some sneakers are sent directly from China. The company has also entered China’s sneaker market.
If unforeseen circumstances lead to delays in shipping, StockX will let customers know.
An example was during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when StockX notified customers that the processing and shipping times had doubled.
8. Does StockX Have Physical Locations?
While StockX doesn’t have brick-and-mortar storefronts, the company has physical drop-off locations in New York City, London, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.
Sellers using drop-off locations don’t need to provide a shipping box or print a shipping label, and some drop-off locations have on-site authenticators to speed up the verification and authentication process.
StockX may close or open drop-off centers at any point, and sellers are encouraged to check StockX’s website to find specifics regarding drop-off locations.
9. Can I Cancel an Order?
Unfortunately, StockX does not allow buyers to cancel an order or bid once it is accepted. Therefore, StockX buyers should be prepared to follow through with all transactions that are started.
If the seller does not produce authentic goods, StockX will refund a buyer’s purchase.
While the StockX support team considers refund/ return and cancellation cases individually, buyers should not expect any deviation from StockX’s written return policies.
10. What Payment Methods Does StockX Accept?
StockX accepts major credit cards, including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, UnionPay, and Discover.
The site also accepts other payment methods, including PayPal, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo, Alipay, Sofort, and iDEAL.
The company also offers 3, 6, 9, and 12-month payment plans via a partnership with Affirm.
Of course, all payment plan options are subject to terms and conditions. You should check for your eligibility before deciding on this option.
11. Does Eminem Own StockX?
Hip-hop icon and Detroit native Eminem (formally known as Marshall Mathers) is an investor in StockX, but his ownership percentage is unknown. He partnered with StockX in 2016 and is one of the company’s strategic partners.
Eminem is one of the many star investors in StockX, a “stock market for sneakers” (Credit: WENN)
“Sneakers have always been a huge interest of mine, for at least as long as I’ve been rapping, and I’m proud of the fact that I’ve had so many collaborations with Nike and Jordan Brand,” Eminem said in a statement. “I really like the fact that sneakers are a big part of what StockX is doing. When I found out that they happen to be doing it from downtown Detroit, it made even more sense to get involved.”