Everything you need to know about sneaker proxies

November 15, 2022

Sneaker proxies essentials

Dedicated sneaker bots automate the task of buying sneakers online. Selection, purchase, and check out – all can be done in a matter of mere seconds. While there’s nothing wrong with using a bot, this reduces the pool of potential customers for sellers, and footsites aim to block them. 

Bots, as well as everyone else, can be identified on the internet by their IP address. A problem arises with how to hide your digital fingerprint while shopping with a bot.

Sneaker proxies essentials

Here are some important things that you need to know about sneaker proxies.

Enter sneaker proxies

To put it simply, a proxy is an intermediary connecting to the internet on your behalf and hiding your real IP address. Specialized proxies for sneaker copping are just that – they hide your bots IP while helping you with copping sneakers online. Instead of going directly to the sneaker shops server, your purchase requests will go through a proxy.

The sneaker proxy has to be tailored for its purpose. There are quite a few must-have features for a proxy of this kind in order to deliver flawless performance. In short, the right type (spoiler:  residential), a large number of IPs for every task, worldwide coverage, and latency-free speed is what you are looking for.

All this might not mean much for those who are only starting. So let’s dive deeper into the essentials for a sneaker proxy to maximize your sneaker copping game.

Know your type

The main two types of proxies are residential and datacenter. For sneaker copping with a bot, you need to look like a regular customer to not arouse any suspicion. Your IP has to speak for itself and it does if you have a residential proxy. They provide an IP address from an internet service provider (ISP) and a real location behind it. 

Sure, data center proxies have their advantages (e.g. speed), but they are usually located in a cloud server which makes your bot more likely to be detected. Datacenter proxies are suited for different tasks, so you should go with a residential one for sneaker copping.

Speed is of the essence

The first feature to look for when distinguishing a good sneaker proxy from a bad one is speed. Even the tiniest delays can mean a failure for your bot and a bad proxy can create this unwanted latency. We already covered that a residential proxy is a way to go, however,  now we need to maximize its speed of performance and avoid detection. 

The solution is a residential proxy that can change location to find the fastest speed specifically for you. This is called server routing and is used by proxies that have both speed and legitimacy. Make sure to choose a proxy provider which has excellent server routing capabilities.

A large variety of dedicated IPs

The flaw that limits most proxy providers is the small number of IPs available. For every purchase, there has to be a proxy. You don’t want your bot to be stopped while grabbing those sneakers. Quantity is a must, so don’t suppose that one proxy can be enough for a high-tier sneaker copping game.

Another thing to keep in mind is that your proxies have to be dedicated. Only one user at a time. Just like with your sneakers! Look for trusted providers and avoid free ones. This way your bots IP will not be misused and bans or slower-than-needed speeds will be avoided.

Location

As footsites drop locally and frequently, it might seem that you need to be everywhere at once. But you don’t, because your bot can be there for you to catch those drops. Even if one drop is in Chicago and another one in Europe, you can catch them with geo-targeting.

This is a feature of proxies that lets you use IPs only from a certain location of your choice. It all boils down to your proxy provider as it has to provide you with those IPs. Therefore, it is essential to choose one with the best global targeting capabilities.

Someone to watch your back

Even the best sometimes break and the most unexpected can happen. You can’t solve everything alone, so you need to be prepared. Good preparation comes with a choice of a trusted provider. Make sure your proxy provider is available for repairs and fast resolutions by experts at all times. 

Good word spreads for those providers who are stable in their customer support. Read reviews on social media to find out who can be trusted to cover you if needed. Even if it is a day of technical difficulties, a trusted provider will ensure your coping game will remain business as usual.

Conclusion

It is not that easy to find a provider with all the features discussed here and most of them will make you look for compromises. But these are essentials and any of the shortfalls will ruin your sneaker copping. So don’t go down this road and choose proxies that are built with sneaker copping in mind. Rest assured, Proxydrop is all about this.

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