This has been a vital summer for me. This summer is nothing but warm weather, memories, laughter, events; yet a really mild summer for sneaker purchases. I mean, it is my vice, so I’ve picked up a few pairs here and there, but not as big as the rest of the year. I occur to be a strict online shopper, largely because briefly I’m too cocky to wait in anyone’s line for anything. There are times when I wake up early, as so many others do and go to the link a couple of minutes before launch and refresh until it drops. This seems so easy and the route to go, right? As long as you have a reliable computer and a fast internet connection, you are golden, right? That’s the furthest thing from the reality with the current state of sneakers.
The whole collection that sneakers fans have is their influence, the prestige of their resume. Just like anything any collector’s group involves, it can get competitive. The thing about competition is that sometimes people can be cajoled into seeking a competitive advantage at extreme times. The practice hasn’t bypassed the world of sneakers yet. In the past having a plug or connection that worked in a store or boutique, or for a brand was the only advantage one had. Building that relationship with those gatekeepers is key; and plenty of rare pairs that can be missed if you haven’t got such a relationship. With the digital era that has been a bit skipped. It still does not hurt to have those connections and contacts, but the internet makes them much less vital than in the past.
So the question now is, how can you get the same personal benefits without a connection? How can you guarantee a pair? How can you avoid waiting and site traffic and ensure your uptake? The “Add to Cart” service has become commonplace with regards to buying sneakers online. The ATC or Bot service will automatically load the desired shoes into your cart, and take you directly to the checkout screen. Some of these programs are coded well enough to load payment and shipping information into your order so all that’s needed is a payment method. They managed to find, acquire, and pay for any shoe in an instant, far faster than any human being with the fastest equipment available. This is actually an unfair advantage with regards to limited releases.
These bots make short-term releases almost impossible to buy if you are an average Joe. For us normal people, it takes lots of luck and good timing to have the ability to earn a lot from this release. This service is possibly the best tool for retail business. Not only can they get a desired pair of shoes, but they can even get several pairs many times before someone without ATC can even pay with one pair. It is literally the equivalent of a performance enhancing drug for an athlete. The only difference is that there aren’t any laws or commissions to monitor the use of these services. Brands and retailers are pleased that a legitimate sale is made even if the buying method is a little jaded.
You’d think brands would be super thrilled about this, but note that I’m only saying pleased. Retailers have gone to sweepstakes for store purchases. This has killed lots of connection opportunities, it is getting harder to build that relationship with a gatekeeper and giving someone a few dollars is useless now that this process has been implemented. Many retailers and brands are focused on buying online and trying to thwart attempts at services and providers. This has been a work in progress for some time. New processes are continuously being introduced in the hopes of ultimately ending Bot use. Multiple purchase methods like, captcha, apps, timers and random links have all been introduced with moderate success. Most successful random links apart from silent releases; but once the link is in fact unlinked it can be picked up by ATC. Silent releases help make releases fair game, but impossible to do consistently with highly promoted shoes.
So what do you do? I’m an enthusiast with a really solid collection. I also do not use any services. I may just have been lucky, but I managed to get the pair I wanted in addition to pickups for friends they could not get. My advice is solely choose a fast browser, ensure your machine is optimized, have a fast and reliable web connection; and there is nothing wrong with using multiple devices. This may be the only option until the battle against these programs and services is over.
Good luck with that frenzy kick, I hope to be amused a lot by tweeting “Sadderday” on my TL.
