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image of Don’t get hype on your own supply: The role of the modern sneaker reseller

Abstract

Sneaker resellers exist in an interesting space. While they do not produce any durable goods, they nonetheless produce value for a host of stakeholders in the modern shoe industry, including sneaker companies, reselling platforms and consignment shops. The modern reseller extends the hype of the sneaker by using sophisticated means to take sneakers immediately off the market so that scarcity is accented. While sneaker resellers are derided by sneaker enthusiasts and some executives at the likes of Nike and Adidas for abusing the system by price gouging people who actually want to buy the shoes, these individuals play an important role in the modern sneaker economy. Using the theory of immaterial labour by Lazzarato and Hardt and Negri, the purpose of this manuscript is to explain how sneaker resellers act as more than ‘middlemen’ as what they produce cannot be easily quantified, but it is no less important. The researcher interviewed nineteen sneaker resellers throughout the continental United States to better understand how they operate in the secondary sneaker market, where they have the potential to significantly mark up prices. The data reveal how the immaterial labour of modern sneaker resellers is significant because of the ways in which they induce artificial scarcity, lend legitimacy to modern reselling platforms like eBay and Stock X, and develop and cultivate relationships with stockroom employees to secure the most sought-after shoes.

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2025-04-30
2026-04-19

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/content/journals/10.1386/fspc_00319_1
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  • Article Type: Article
Keywords: Nike ; sneakers ; bots ; immaterial labour ; fashion ; reselling

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