What are sneaker bots and why you need proxies

Sneaker bots are specialized software designed to automate the purchasing of limited edition sneakers, which often sell out quickly after release. These bots are also utilized for buying other high-demand or limited-quantity items like sportswear and accessories.

The process with a sneaker bot is significantly faster than manual purchasing. They can automatically fill out order forms, bypass virtual queues, and complete purchases in mere seconds after a product drop. This capability is particularly beneficial for resellers who aim to buy limited edition items to resell at a higher price, as well as collectors seeking to acquire rare and exclusive products for their collections.

It's crucial to note that using a sneaker bot effectively requires preliminary setup, including the configuration of proxy servers. Next, we’ll explore the importance of proxies for sneaker bots and discuss how they function.

Preparing to use a sneaker bot

To automate the purchase of the desired pair of shoes using a sneakerbot, specific configuration steps are required. Let's examine the setup process using the NSB (Nike Shoe Bot) as an example.

Understanding the layout of the bot is crucial. Here's what you find on the main navigation:

• “Tasks”: this page allows you to create and manage tasks for purchasing specific items.
• “Proxies”: a section to enter and manage proxy data to ensure fast and secure transactions.
• “Billing”: here, you store information related to payment and delivery.
• “Captcha”: connect to services that solve captchas, crucial for completing purchases quickly.
• “Monitors”: tools that track product releases so the bot can act swiftly when items go live.
• “Accounts”: manages user accounts on various retail platforms.
• “Profile”: contains settings and preferences within the bot itself.
• “Copped”: a log of all successful purchases made by the bot.

Preparation for working with the bot involves the following steps:

1. Navigate to the “Proxies” tab, click on the “Create New List” button, and in the window that appears, set a name for the proxy list and enter the proxy data separated by a colon in the following sequence: IP-address:port:username:password.

   

2. In the “Accounts” tab, add accounts for the target sites. These accounts can be either created by the bot owner or rented or purchased from other users. First, set the name for the group of accounts.

   

3. Choose the site for which the accounts will be relevant, and enter the data from them in the field below.

   

4. In the “Billing” tab, indicate the buyer’s first and last name, delivery address, and payment information.

   

5. At this stage, several profiles are created, which can then be combined into one group.

   

6. In the “Captcha” tab, activate the option for solving the captcha. Additionally, users can specify proxies through which this function will work.

   

7. When the basic data is specified, start creating the task. In the “Tasks” tab, create a new task for a specific release, indicating the target product, quantity, and size. Next, link the created accounts, payment profiles, proxy servers, and captcha-solving services to the task.

   

On the main screen, users can track all active tasks and monitor their status.

Why proxies are necessary in sneaker bots

Trading platforms that sell sneakers and other branded items employ specialized systems on their websites to detect and counteract bot activity. These systems are designed to identify actions more typical of automated software than human users.

To spot suspicious activity, these security systems scrutinize various elements such as the IP address of the incoming request, user behavior on the site, and other details like cookies. If an unusually high volume of requests is detected coming from a single IP address, or if the geolocation seems suspicious, the site may trigger a CAPTCHA or even block access.

Additionally, many platforms, especially those selling limited-edition sneakers, enforce a “one product per person” rule to prevent bulk purchases by bots, which could lead to inflated resale prices. This rule aims to ensure a fair purchasing process and to give genuine fans and collectors a better chance of acquiring limited-edition models.

To circumvent these restrictions, proxies for sneaker bots are utilized. These proxies help change the IP address from which a purchase is made, allowing users to bypass the site's anti-bot measures.

Moreover, online stores often limit the availability of certain models to specific regions, releasing exclusive items only in selected countries. For example, New Balance releases its New Balance 1300JP model exclusively to the Japanese market every five years, restricting access to this product for resellers from other regions. Using a proxy enables these resellers to appear as if they are from the permitted region, allowing them to purchase multiple pairs of these exclusive sneakers.

The main purposes of using proxies in sneaker bots include:

• Proxies help circumvent rules like “one product per person”, allowing users to potentially buy multiple items;
• They lower the likelihood of getting blocked during automated actions by masking the bot's activity as coming from different users;
• Proxies facilitate the mass purchase of items, especially during sales or in regions where prices may be influenced by geolocation;
• They allow users to buy sneakers from regions where a release may occur earlier than in the user's own region.

Using a sneakerbot with properly configured proxies can significantly enhance account anonymity during online shoe purchases. This setup makes it difficult for trading platforms to detect that multiple operations are being conducted by a single user. However, the effectiveness of this strategy heavily depends on the type of proxy used.

Which proxies to use for sneaker bots

There are four main types of proxy servers that can be used with sneaker bots for automated purchases:

• IPv4 proxy: these proxies use IP addresses located in data centers;
• ISP proxy: these utilize IP addresses provided by internet service providers;
• Mobile proxies: located on devices connected to a mobile network, these proxies are associated with mobile operators;
• Residential proxies: these operate using the IP addresses of real users' devices.

Among these, IPv4 and ISP proxies are categorized as static proxies, meaning the IP address remains the same throughout the entire period of use. On the other hand, residential and mobile proxies are dynamic proxies, where the IP address can change at intervals set by the user.

Given that many large branded shoe marketplaces have security systems designed to track and block bots, selecting the right proxy servers is crucial to circumvent these measures. The characteristics associated with each type of proxy are significant in this context, impacting their effectiveness in avoiding detection.

• IPv4 proxies offer the lowest level of anonymity among the options available because their IP addresses can be traced back to data centers. This geolocation information can raise suspicions from security systems. Despite this drawback, IPv4 proxies are cost-effective and often provide good connection speeds.
• ISP proxies are generally more trusted on web resources and offer good speed and stability. However, because they are static and do not change over time, they are not suitable for multiple uses on platforms that enforce a “one product per person” rule.
• Mobile proxies are highly trusted and typically not blocked, making them ideal for purchases. Their dynamic nature allows for long-term use. However, they may have limited bandwidth, subject to the restrictions imposed by the mobile operator.
• Residential sneaker proxies use IP addresses associated with the physical home devices of real users, which makes them highly reliable and difficult for security systems to detect and block. However, they are the most expensive option available.

Based on this analysis, here are some recommendations for selecting proxies to use with sneaker bots. For important releases and on large sites with strict anti-bot measures, mobile or residential proxies are the best options due to their high trust factor and difficulty in being detected. For quick and bulk purchases, an ISP proxy pool is suitable because of its reliability and fast connection speeds. An IPv4 proxy is a good choice for testing or for less critical tasks on small or obscure sites that do not have stringent bot protection measures in place.