Sneaker Reselling has Changed in 2025, But it's Not Dead

The numbers tell a clear story. In 2020, 58% of sneaker releases traded above retail on secondary platforms. By 2024, that number dropped to 47%. Profit margins that once hit 100% are now closer to 10-25% per pair for most releases. Stadium Goods and GOAT Group executives confirmed what resellers already feel: margins have shrunk significantly over the past two years.

But volume is up. Way up. StockX CEO Greg Schwartz puts it simply: “We have a much broader audience, and given the macro environment and where supply and demand characteristics have been, there’s more volume in the market today that trades at varying price points.”

The data from StockX, GOAT, and industry reports paints a complete picture of where the market stands:

Market Performance

• Only 47% of 2024 releases traded above retail, down from 58% in 2020
• U.S. sneaker resale market projected to hit $6 billion by end of 2025
• StockX projected $540 million in revenue with $3.8 billion valuation
• Women’s sneaker segment grew from 1.6% of market in 2014 to 42.7% in 2022

Brand Performance Shifts

• Anta sales surged 1,901% on StockX in 2024, driven by Kyrie Irving’s Kai 1
• Asics retro styles grew 645% on GOAT and 350% on StockX
• Li-Ning increased 113% thanks to Dwayne Wade signature shoes
• Saucony cracked StockX’s top five fastest-growing brands for first time

Consumer Behavior Changes

• 80% of sneaker resale purchases made by millennials aged 27-42
• Lower-priced options (Dunks, Sambas, P-6000s) dominating sales volume
• Average profit per pair dropped to $10-25 for many releases
• Travis Scott collabs still averaging $451 (197% markup) proving select releases retain value

The market is bigger than ever, but the profit is spread across more transactions at lower margins.

Nike and other major brands flooded the market with inventory over the past few years. When you can walk into Foot Locker and grab Dunks in multiple colorways, the secondary market premium disappears. It’s basic supply and demand, and brands ignored it while chasing revenue targets.

Nike noticed the problem and cut production on limited Jordan releases by 35% to restore exclusivity. But the damage is done for now. Resellers who relied on major brand drops are scrambling to adjust.

Inflation hit buyers hard. When your grocery bill goes up 20%, you’re not dropping $500 on Off-White Jordans. GOAT’s Chief Brand Officer Sen Sugano confirmed it: “The consumer has been under inflationary pressure these last two years, so it’s no surprise that lower-price-point sneakers are popular on our platforms.”

People still want sneakers. They just want affordable ones they can actually wear. Nike P-6000s, Adidas Sambas, and similar styles under $150 retail are moving in huge volume because they hit the sweet spot of style and price.

In 2020, Nike and Jordan Brand held 71.3% of the sneaker resale market. That stranglehold is breaking. Chinese brands like Anta and Li-Ning are making serious moves with athlete partnerships. Asics tapped into retro nostalgia perfectly. Reebok is making smart collaborations with unexpected brands.

If we were having this conversation six years ago, we wouldn’t be mentioning these brands. Now they’re some of the fastest-growing names on StockX and GOAT. The market is diversifying, and that creates new opportunities for resellers who pay attention.

Volume Resellers: The old model was buying 10 pairs and flipping each for $200 profit. The new model is buying 100 pairs and making $20 on each. Top-tier StockX sellers are crushing it with this approach, building relationships with wholesalers and buying between wholesale and retail prices.

Niche Hunters: Resellers who spotted the Anta wave early made ridiculous money. Same with those who jumped on Asics retros or women’s Nike Sabrina models (up 401% in 2024). The profit is in finding trends before they explode, not chasing what everyone else is flipping.

Local Sellers: Platform fees eat margins. eBay charges 13%, StockX up to 19%. Smart resellers are shifting to Reddit’s r/Sneakermarket, Facebook groups, and local meetups where they keep 100% of the profit and avoid taxes on casual sales.

Patient Holders: Buy-and-hold is back. Copping hype pairs while prices are suppressed and sitting on them for 6-12 months is generating better returns than quick flips. Back-to-school and holiday seasons still create demand spikes.

Hype Chasers: If your entire strategy is “cop the latest Travis Scott drop and flip it same day,” you’re getting cooked. Those releases still work, but there aren’t enough of them to sustain a business.

One-Brand Loyalists: Resellers who only flip Nike and Jordan are watching their margins shrink while missing massive opportunities in Anta, Asics, and other emerging brands.

High-Fee Platform Users: Selling exclusively on StockX or GOAT made sense when margins were fat. At $20 profit per pair, those fees become brutal. Resellers who don’t diversify their sales channels are leaving money on the table.

Retail-Only Buyers: Getting inventory at retail works when you hit on drops. But top resellers moved to wholesale relationships, early access through store connections, and buying in bulk at below-retail prices. If you’re still refreshing SNKRS hoping to hit, you’re behind.

The Anta Kai 1 Phenomenon

When Kyrie Irving signed with Anta after his Nike split, most U.S. resellers ignored it. The Kai 1 retailed for $120 and people questioned if there was even a market. Those who paid attention cleaned up. The shoe sold out repeatedly and flipped for $180-220 consistently. Not huge margins, but reliable. Early adopters who bought 20-30 pairs per drop made $1,200-2,000 per release with minimal competition.

Asics Retro Revival

The Asics Gel-Kayano 14 and similar models retail around $130. They’re hitting $180-200 on resale steadily, especially in limited colorways. With 645% growth on GOAT, these are the definition of a volume play. Buy 50 pairs across different colorways, flip each for $50-70 profit after fees, and you’re at $2,500-3,500 per month just from Asics.

Nike Sabrina Impact

Women’s sneakers are no longer an afterthought. Sabrina Ionescu’s signature Nike models grew 401% in 2024. The Sabrina 2 retails for $130 and consistently flips for $180-220 depending on colorway. Women’s sizing also has less competition from bot users and resellers, creating better manual cop opportunities.

Travis Scott Still Prints

Yes, margins are down across the board. But Travis Scott x Jordan collabs averaged $451 resale in 2024, a 197% markup. The Mocha Jordan 1s from 2023 still trade above $1,000. These releases are rare, but they prove that hype-driven scarcity still works. The key is you can’t build a business around hoping to hit one per year.

The Dunk Reality Check

Nike Dunk Lows used to guarantee easy flips. Now many colorways sit at retail or hit outlets. The ones that do flip are making $10-15 profit after fees. But here’s the thing: stores stock 200+ pairs. Hit on a Foot Locker backdoor or employee discount and flip 50 pairs for $15 each? That’s $750, and it took one trip.

Top resellers aren’t buying at retail anymore. They’re connecting with mom-and-pop sneaker stores, boutiques, and even larger chains for bulk purchases at 20-40% below MSRP. At that cost basis, even small resale premiums become profitable.

One reseller we talked to sources Dunks at $70 wholesale, flips them for $95-105, and moves 100+ pairs monthly. That’s $2,500-3,500 profit on shoes most resellers won’t touch at retail.

The platform fee problem is real. Smart sellers are splitting inventory: high-heat pairs go to StockX for authentication and quick sales, everything else moves through Facebook groups, Reddit, or local meetups.

One seller reported making an extra $20-30 per sale by avoiding platform fees on mid-tier releases. On 50 pairs per month, that’s an additional $1,000-2,000 in take-home profit.

The best resellers treat this like a business. They track sales velocity on StockX, monitor which sizes move fastest, and use tools to identify which colorways have the lowest supply relative to demand.

When Saucony started appearing on StockX’s fastest-growing brands list, smart resellers immediately started buying their collaboration releases. Now those same sellers are ahead of the curve as Saucony continues climbing.

Nike and Jordan releases will continue trading at lower premiums unless Nike significantly cuts supply. Expect most general releases to flip for 1.1-1.3x retail. The wins will come from emerging brands and collaboration releases.

Anta and Li-Ning will keep gaining traction as more U.S. buyers discover them. Early adopters will have the best margins before competition increases. Asics collaborations will continue performing well heading into holiday season.

Women’s sneakers will see increased attention from resellers who previously ignored that segment. Expect competition to rise but margins to stay healthy through end of year.

Holiday season (November-December 2025) will create temporary demand spikes across the board. Resellers sitting on inventory bought at lower prices in September-October will see the best returns.

Nike’s production cuts on limited Jordan releases should start showing effects. If they actually follow through, expect premiums on truly limited pairs to recover to 1.5-2x retail by early 2026.

New Balance will likely crack the top five fastest-growing brands on StockX. Their collaborations are gaining momentum and the retro running trend isn’t slowing down.

The volume-based model is here to stay. Resellers who haven’t adapted by mid-2026 will be out of the game. Those who build systems for sourcing at wholesale, selling across multiple channels, and moving high volumes will dominate.

Brand diversity will increase further. Expect another 2-3 Chinese or Japanese brands to make waves in the U.S. market. Resellers who ignore international brands will miss significant opportunities.

Platform consolidation is possible. If margins stay tight, smaller resale platforms may struggle. StockX and GOAT will likely strengthen their positions, but expect them to adjust fee structures to stay competitive with direct peer-to-peer sales.

Watch for these warning signs that could signal trouble:

Nike Doesn’t Actually Cut Supply: If Nike keeps flooding the market despite promises to restore scarcity, expect continued margin compression on their releases. The brand’s discipline will determine whether Jordan and Dunk values recover.

Platform Fees Increase: StockX and GOAT are businesses that need to grow. If they raise seller fees further while margins are already thin, it could push even more resellers to alternative channels or out of the market entirely.

Counterfeit Surge: As margins shrink, the temptation to sell fakes increases. A major authentication failure at StockX or GOAT could crater buyer confidence and damage the entire market.

Economic Downturn: The sneaker resale market is discretionary spending. A recession would hit sales volume hard, especially at the mid-tier price points that currently drive the market.

Bot Crackdowns: Major retailers are improving their anti-bot technology. If copping inventory becomes significantly harder, even at wholesale prices, resellers will struggle to maintain volume needed for thin-margin strategies.

Here’s what you should do right now based on current market conditions:

This Week: Review your inventory. If you’re sitting on general release Dunks or common Jordans bought at retail, move them now even at break-even. Free up capital for better opportunities. Check StockX’s fastest-growing brands list and research which of those brands you can source.

This Month: Build at least one wholesale or store relationship. Even small boutiques will sell to consistent buyers at 20-30% off retail. That cost basis completely changes your margin math. Diversify where you sell. Set up accounts on Reddit, Facebook groups, and local sneaker community pages. Test selling a few pairs to understand the process.

This Quarter: Shift your mindset from “big hits” to “consistent volume.” If you’re not moving at least 20-30 pairs monthly, you’re not building a sustainable business in this market. Focus on emerging brands. Buy a few pairs of Anta, Li-Ning, or Asics collabs to test the market. Track your numbers ruthlessly. Know your profit per pair after ALL costs including storage, shipping supplies, and your time.

The sneaker resale market in 2025 isn’t dying, it’s maturing. The easy money is gone, but the smart money is still there for resellers who adapt. Lower margins don’t mean lower profits if you increase volume and cut costs. The winners will be those who treat this like a real business instead of a side hustle, who follow data instead of hype, and who stay flexible as the market continues evolving.