How to Buy & Sell Shoes on Reseller Websites

Online thrift stores and reselling websites are popular for good reason. They’re a quick, convenient way to buy or resell clothing, especially shoes. However, thrifting via the web or a clothing resale app is not always as easy as it looks. This beginner’s guide will help you learn how to buy shoes online or resell shoes online successfully.

Tips for Buying Shoes

When thrifting online for shoes, the options seem endless. Think about what kind of shoe you need. Looking for a boho chic sandal to add to your summer wardrobe? Maybe you want to replace a pair of long-lost and much-loved sneakers. Here are a few tips for buying secondhand shoes through a resell app:

Search Smart

Practice smart search strategies when looking for the perfect thrifted shoes. Using alternative terms like “sneaker” or “tennis shoe” is a great way to extend your options and find that diamond in the rough.

You can also search for shoes classified as NWT, or New With Tags. This means that the advertised pair are brand new and never worn, so you can feel confident knowing the condition is the same as if you bought them in store.

Use filters to your advantage, too. If you’re looking for the perfect nude heel for a friend’s wedding, choose color options like light brown, beige, or tan. Search by price, shoe size, style, and more.

Do Your Research

Before you click “buy now,” do a Google search to see what other similar shoes are selling for. If you’re looking for a specific pair, visit either a department website or the brand’s own site to see how much those shoes are worth brand new. Here, you can also view what they should look like to inspect for damage and how the brand’s logo appears.

These tips are important if you’re looking to buy a pair of vintage or designer shoes. The logo, tags, or coloring might give the pair away as a fake. Counterfeit shoes are a common problem in secondhand shoe stores, with some of the most faked shoe brands being Nike, Louboutin, UGG, Jimmy Choo, Adidas, and more. Without doing your research, you may end up overpaying.

Inspect the Photos Carefully

Sometimes online sellers aren’t transparent about the condition, brand, or age of the shoes they sell. Small details in photos, such as fraying, brand-new tags on “vintage” listings, or logos that are a slightly different font or color can give away that the shoes you’re looking at are fakes or damaged.

Check Out the Seller’s Profile

The seller’s profile is an easy way to tell if they are trustworthy. Some online sellers are known for up-charging, selling faulty products, or not communicating. The reviews on the page, past sold products, and the information they provide can help you determine whether the seller is legitimate.

Prepare to Bargain

Some shoe resell apps allow customers to make offers on a pair they think may be worth less than the advertised price. Be prepared to bargain for a better value, but always make a fair offer. Reasons you might offer less for an item could include seeing the shoes brand new in store for the same cost or if the shoes require repairs.

Reasons to Resell Shoes

Chances are, if you’re looking up how to resell shoes on Poshmark, thredUP, or another clothing resale app, then you already have a reason to sell. Maybe they no longer fit your style or you need help decluttering or organizing your closet. Selling last season’s wardrobe can leave you with a bit of cash to prep for upcoming trends, too.

For shoe problems you can fix, Foot Petals makes it easy to save your fav pair of strappy heels or ballerina flats. Our back of heel cushions make shoes more comfortable, reduce rubbing at the heel, and fill just enough space to make those half-size-too-big pumps the perfect fit. Give your flats some support with our arch support cushions and prevent slipping in treadless booties with no-slip grips.

 

Tips for Reselling Shoes

The first step to reselling shoes online is choosing the service or platform you want to use. Check whether the service is easy to use, facilitates returns, makes shipping a breeze, and what kind of seller’s fees you are expected to pay. What determines your profits is how you price your items and your level of activity on the app. Check out these tips for reselling shoes to get you started:

Prep your Inventory

Quality matters when trying to resell shoes online. Most buyers want something that’s in good condition, suits a trend, or comes from a high-end brand for a bargain price. Before putting a pair up for sale, do some prep work with your inventory:

• Check for damages like broken zippers, missing rhinestones, scuff marks, worn insoles, etc.
• Use shoe cleaning products to remove stains and spruce up colored fabrics, suede, or leather.
• Keep shoes from smelling in storage with a deodorizer after cleaning.
• Compare your products to those already sold before setting a price.

Have an Attractive Profile

Similar to a store catalogue, your profile is one of the first things people look at. It should have all of your information, including pricing, shipping details, your name or handle, and what you sell. Making special note of niche styles like high-fashion or goth as well as condition type, such as gently-worn, can get you better results.

Include Lots of Details

One of the most important tips for reselling shoes is to include lots of details. Color, style descriptions, and tags like “vintage” or “brand new” are helpful to include. Be honest with your description about the shoes. If there’s any sort of wear and tear or damage, list these. Including measurements or reference photos for size is also beneficial.

Take Good Photos

Good-quality photos are attractive to potential buyers. Just like you would take your own outfit pics, angles are everything. Photograph the shoes from far away, up close, and zoomed in on any texture or patterns. Include pictures of any wear and tear or stains mentioned in the description, as well. The more images you include, the more likely your buyer is to trust you and the product.

Be a Good Communicator

People will have questions about the items you’re selling. They may even try to make an offer that’s lower than your asking price. To keep buyers happy, stay on top of answering questions, replying to direct messages, and keeping customers updated with shipping. If you’re going on vacation or out of town, you may want to put a hold on your inventory until you return.

Stepping into Online Shoe Resale

Using a shoe reseller site or app on your phone makes it easy to go thrifting online and make some cash off recycling the items in your closet. Still, you might want to consider holding onto the shoes you can save by using Foot Petals comfort cushions. With these tips, you’ll be able to successfully navigate the world of online shoe reselling.