An Ultimate Guide on How to Choose Proxies for Sneakers
Sneakers pair up nicely with almost anything – jeans, shorts, pants, dresses and, unexpectedly, they also go well with proxies. Style aside, every sneakerhead knows that purchasing multiple pairs of sneakers without proxies is impossible.
Proxies are needed to avoid bans and other restrictions while using automated bots to purchase sneakers. But how to choose a proxy that would best match your sneaker needs? Read on to find out.
What Are Proxies?
Proxy servers allow you to change your IP address by acting as intermediaries. You first connect to a proxy and only then to the needed website, in this case, a sneaker shop. The connection on their side appears to come from a different device, adding an extra layer of security and hiding your identity.
Changing your IP address is important because it gives away information used to track your online activity. From the numbers in the IP address alone, websites can determine your approximate location and the name of your internet service provider (ISP).
Due to the design of the internet infrastructure, you cannot avoid showing an IP address when connecting to the internet, so changing it is the only option. Other alternatives, such as VPNs, can achieve similar results in everyday applications, but proxies are more versatile.
Proxies are useful for many tasks, from simple ones like anonymous browsing to running more complicated software for collecting data or automating various tasks. Sneaker copping is one specific application of proxies.
What to Look for in Proxies for Sneaker Copping?
As a practice of purchasing multiple pairs of sneakers with automated software, sneaker copping requires staying anonymous without compromising the connection speed. Not all proxies can achieve this, and there are clear criteria you need to look for before purchasing.
Automatic rotation means that the IP addresses are being changed from time to time without your interference. It is beneficial while copping sneakers because most websites will ban the IP address if you use it too long or with multiple accounts.
A large IP pool is a must for good sneaker copping. It will arouse more suspicion if you start using the same proxies concurrently. It’s best to have a separate IP address for every purchase. So, the more sneakers you want, the larger pool of IPs needs to be.
A large variety of locations is also necessary for successful coping. Not only does it open up more possibilities to catch drops around the world but increases the success rate also. For example, many vendors check whether the delivery address matches the location of an IP address. A large variety of locations will allow you to avoid such location restrictions.
Performance must be top-tier as otherwise, you risk losing sneakers because of slow loading times or, even worse, loss of connection. Other sneakerheads invest heavily in performance, so they won’t wait if you are lagging behind.
On top of all the above criteria, a proxy also must be legitimate. Sneaker vendors are notorious for banning IPs that don’t look trustworthy. So, the IP address needs to blend in with other visitors simply browsing the website.
It isn’t easy for providers to create proxies fulfilling all of the criteria, and sneakerheads often can only know for sure after trying them out. That’s why a particular type of proxy, built specifically for sneaker copping, has emerged.
Sneaker Proxies
Sneaker proxies are fine-tuned and fully tested to work best with bots copping sneakers. They combine all the criteria needed to automate sneaker purchases. Other proxies might be great for many other tasks, but if, for example, online sneaker shops ban their IPs, they are of no use to you.
Before being sold, sneaker proxies can be tested to ensure flawless sneaker copping on specific websites. So, they are often additionally labeled according to brands or platforms. For instance, you can choose between Adidas and Nike sneaker proxies or Shopify and Foot sites sneaker proxies.
As a type, residential proxies are widely considered to be the best type for being dedicated to sneaker copping. Their IP addresses come from physical devices in ordinary households and are verified by ISPs. It ensures that there are no two similar IPs which raises legitimacy.
Other types, such as data center proxies, can be faster due to their superior connection in data centers. They are unaffiliated with ISPs, and multiple proxies are hosted virtually on a server instead. The IPs are quite similar, so legitimacy isn’t a strong point of data center proxies.
Even though residential proxies are a bit slower, they work perfectly fine when sneaker copping. Besides, being sure that websites won’t ban the IPs while using a bot is more important. If you are unsure which one to choose, residential sneaker proxies are the way to go.
Choosing a Suitable Proxy Protocol
One last thing you need to know when choosing a proxy for sneaker copping is the protocol type. Unless you cop sneakers manually (which isn’t recommended as it will put you at a disadvantage), you won’t be able to use proxies of the unsupported protocol.
Internet protocols are systems of rules allowing devices to transfer data between each other. Generally, sneaker bots support two types of protocols:
- HTTP(S) is short for HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure. It is a common way of transferring data over the internet supported by web browsers.
- SOCKS stands for SOCKet Secure and is best for more traffic-intensive tasks, like streaming videos or downloading data.
Which proxy protocol to use is up for sneaker bot programmers to decide. There aren’t any major differences here as bots can achieve the same success rate in both cases. Therefore, it’s best to find a bot you need first and then purchase a proxy accordingly.
Conclusion
Choosing proxies is easy if you go with sneaker proxies. Most of the work is already done by providers as they test them to work with sneaker websites. Look for automatic rotation, many locations, great performance, and a large IP pool. With such proxies, you will find fitting sneakers in no time.
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