Bartering For Kicks

Trading sneakers online provides the thrill of the hunt and the opportunity for profit

By Navpreet Dhillon

Cave dwellers were exchanging animal hides and sharp sticks long before the invention of coins and paper money. They were pioneering the barter system—a way of trading that will always be with us.

To place barter in a contemporary context, think of someone itching for a pair of Air Jordans but hurting for cash. How about finding a way to snag those shoes by trading up from a pair of SBs lying around the house?

That can happen with the help of Tradeblock , a revolutionary company that aims to change the market through trade rather than resale. A barter-based sneaker trading platform, Tradeblock enables users to swap shoes for what they consider fair value, using what Tradeblock calls “kicks for currency.”

A lot is at stake. The sneaker resale market was valued at $6 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $30 billion by 2030. That’s a 400% increase in eight years and an average increase of 20% year over year, as predicted by Cowen Equity Research.

Think of someone itching for a pair of Air Jordans but hurting for cash.

Both brand popularity and limited availability drive the sneaker resale market, encouraging consumers to buy the shoes for exclusivity and resale instead of to wear.

This rapidly growing market creates intense competition for anyone looking to enter. GOAT, StockX and Grailed have long been the biggest names in the industry, serving as both websites and apps for sneakerheads to buy and sell shoes.

Now, Tradeblock is offering a new tool. While not a true barter system because users can add cash to the trade, Tradeblock represents an original approach to resale.

Childhood friends Mbiyimoh Ghogomu, Darren Smith and Tony Malveaux started Tradeblock in Houston in August 2020. It was valued at $8.9 million as of October 2022 and has more than 250,000 users. Like most other resale sites, Tradeblock charges a base fee of $25 for each trade and adds $10 per additional pair. For example, someone trading three pairs of shoes (the maximum allowed) would pay $45.

Super-trader Rob A., who goes by KreweDeJawn, joined at the start and has completed over 180 trades. “The great thing about Tradeblock that I think some other traders are missing is that it’s not a replacement to the resale marketplace,” Rob says. “Rather, it is another tool in the collector’s toolbelt to be used in conjunction with the resale marketplace.”

The right strategy pays off in shoe bartering, Rob maintains. “Think about making trades for pairs that you might not want personally but are easy to flip for the capital you need to get the pairs you want,” he recommends.

On Tradeblock, exchanges may not be equal in monetary value, but they could be tactical when thinking of future trades. Rob likes to think many trades ahead and be willing to part with anything for the right shoe. But what feels right now may eventually bring pain. Rob’s biggest trade is his biggest regret: He exchanged the Jordan 4 Bred, Jordan 4 Union Off-Noir and Nike SB Low Chunky Dunky for the Jordan 6 Travis Scott British Khaki, Nike SB High Strawberry Cough and Jordan 1 Travis Scott High Mochas. In hindsight, he was robbed. “Those Chunky Dunkys feel like a gaping hole in my collection that I really wish I could get back,” Rob says.

The Chunky Dunkys, one of the most sought-after shoes, resell for more than $3,600 on StockX after retailing for $100. Yikes. Even without considering the Nike x Ben & Jerry’s collaboration for resale, the Chunky Dunky pair is one anyone would envy and want to include in a personal collection.

Even so, Rob keeps trading because the platform brings back the thrill of the hunt. “With the trading high, you can always feel that thrill of landing a really good trade, whether it’s because you landed a pair you’ve been searching for, or you got a trade that’s really in your favor value-wise.”