Sneaker Colorways And Why They Matter

Sneakers have become a major collectors’ item in the past decade. They’re not just comfortable athletic shoes anymore; they’re a fashion statement, an investment, and a status symbol.

If you’ve looked into buying high-end sneakers recently, you’ve probably asked yourself one of the most common questions after considering a sneaker: “What is a colorway?” That’s an excellent thing to ponder. Colorways are one of the features that make sneakers so collectible. The colorway of a sneaker can make all the difference in whether it’s worth collecting or reselling.

Learning about sneaker colorways can help you get into the world of sneakers. Here’s what you need to understand about sneaker colors, why they’re important, and what colorways are worth investing in if you’re interested in reselling them. If you’re already familiar with a section, you can use the table of contents to skip ahead.

What Is a Sneaker Colorway?

“Colorway” is the term for the different combinations of colors and patterns found on sneakers. It’s not enough to call a sneaker “red” because the accent colors make all the difference. A red sneaker with white laces and trim is a much different fashion statement from the same red sneaker with green accents.

Instead, manufacturers and collectors use the word “colorway” to describe combinations of colors. Often, these colorways will have unique names to differentiate them. Depending on the manufacturer, one sneaker model may be released in a single colorway or dozens. Different colors ensure that at least one colorway will appeal to potential customers.

Why Is a Sneaker Colorway Important?

Sneaker collectors know that colorways make a difference in collecting the right shoe. Sneaker colors can make or break a shoe’s popularity. Reasons people care about colorways include:

• Matching shoes to outfits: Shoes are designed to be worn. Most people who buy sneakers want shoes that will match their favorite outfits. True collectors may get the same sneaker model in multiple colors, so their sneaker colorway, clothing, and accessories always match.
• Getting shoes that match the season: The old rule is that you don’t wear white after Labor Day. Even if that fashion tip is outdated, different seasons are still complemented by different colors. Enthusiasts like to get shoes that match the seasonal vibe, such as holiday colors in the winter or pastels in the spring.
• Building a themed collection: Some people like specific colors or patterns. A sneaker enthusiast with a themed collection may try to buy as many models with their preferred colors as possible.
• Demonstrating status with limited-edition colors: Sometimes, not even the colors themselves matter. If a brand produces a specific colorway for an extremely limited release, that colorway becomes a collector status symbol.

In short, people love different colors and having something unique. Sneaker brands produce colorways to appeal to as many people as possible and give their customers ways to show off their style and personality. Understanding which colorways are popular and why can help you become a top-notch sneaker reseller.

Types of Sneaker Colorways Worth Buying in Bulk

So which colorways are most popular? That depends. If you’re considering becoming a sneaker reseller, the sneaker colors you should buy are the ones that resell best. The following colorways almost always have solid resale value, so they’re worth buying in bulk to redistribute.

White colorways

White is one of the trickiest sneaker colors to keep clean, making white colorways an extra status symbol. People wearing pristine white sneakers show off having the time and money to keep their shoes in like-new condition.

White is also a trendy color because many collectors will buy two pairs. One pair will be kept in the box as a collectors’ item, and the other will be worn. The collector doesn’t have to worry about ruining their only pair of this colorway with a scuff or mud puddle. As a reseller, stocking up on white colorways from popular brands is a great way to start your business.

Seasonal colorways

While white shoes are always in style, you should also consider stocking up for shorter-term trends. For instance, stocking seasonal colorways is a great way to boost your sales.

• Spring colorways: Pastel colors are almost always a big draw in spring. Some brands also release sneakers with floral patterns and fun laces.
• Summer colorways: Summer sneaker colorways will probably be brighter and include more colors. Materials may consist of mesh and other “breathable” fabrics.
• Fall colorways: Autumn colorways often return to solids or overall patterns. Colors tend to be more muted, with jewel tones and deeper shades. Fall colorways may also include softer materials such as suede.
• Winter colorways: Holiday colors often show up in winter colorways. Many sneaker manufacturers lean toward more durable and waterproof materials to help the shoes stand up to winter weather. Black and leather are common.

Team sneaker colorways

Some sneaker brands have specific connections to sports teams or players. For example, Air Jordans are permanently linked to Michael Jordan. Nike often uses the sneaker colorway red, black, and white to honor Jordan’s long-standing connection to the Chicago Bulls.

Many sneaker manufacturers design sneaker colorways to fit the colors of sports teams or the preferences of famous athletes. These sneakers appeal to collectors of both shoes and sports memorabilia.

It’s a great idea to stock up on team and player colorways before new seasons start or when it looks like a specific team is going to make a successful playoffs run. This is when the hype is highest, and demand for branded gear like sneakers explodes. You can resell sneakers in team colors all year long, but you’ll get the best prices during the sports season.

Limited-edition colorways 

Everyone loves getting their hands on something no one else has. Limited-edition colorways send the collecting urge into overdrive. Different colors in limited editions almost always have a hot reselling market regardless of the specific sneaker. These colorways can easily be the spotlight of someone’s collection, especially if they have something unique like holographic print or another feature not found on standard shoes.

These limited-edition colorways also have the most competition for buying them from the manufacturer. If you want to resell limited-edition colorways, you need to be prepared to fight stocks that sell out in minutes. A great way to accomplish that is by adding proxies to your buying tool kit.

How To Spot New Valuable Sneaker Colorways

While these rules are a great way to learn the basics of reselling sneakers, you can always know more about the field. If you can spot colorway trends before other resellers, you can buy shoes before they become popular and resell them for a higher profit margin. A few ways you can stay on top of trends and spot potential valuable colorways include:

• Pay attention to sneaker brand news. If you’re buying shoes at retail before reselling them, you need to know when new sneaker colorways are released. Sign up for sneaker newsletters or scrape sites for colorway announcements to stay on top of release dates.
• Keep an eye on sports and music news. If an athlete with a sneaker line hits the news, demand for their shoes or colorways is probably about to rise. The same goes for rappers and other musicians with sneaker deals. That’s the time to invest in their most popular colorways to resell them.
• Be active on sneaker forums and communities. Some trends are entirely organic. People realize they really like a particular color combination or that the quality of a specific model has gone up. You can spot these trends by scraping social media and sneaker forums to learn what people are talking about.
• Look at what other resellers can’t keep in stock. If your competition can’t seem to keep up with demand on certain colorways, those are probably worth investing in. Buy those colorways to resell them to people who can’t get them anywhere else.

How ISP Proxies Help You Buy Different Sneaker Colors

Whether you’re buying new sneakers for your collection or to resell, you will face stiff competition buying them at retail prices. That’s why it’s worth using Rayobyte proxies when you’re trying to buy sneakers.

Many shoe brands place limits of one pair of sneakers per buyer when they release new models. This means you can’t buy multiple pairs, even if you just want a sneaker in different colors for your collection. They enforce this limit by blocking IP addresses from making more than one purchase. They often ban data center proxies entirely to prevent people from trying to overcome these bans.

However, you can still use proxies. You just need to use the right kind. ISP proxies are housed in data centers, but they have addresses right from Internet Service Providers, so they’re less likely to get blocked by sneaker web stores. They make your activity appear more human-like and you can make one purchase for each ISP proxy you have. This lets you get as many colorways as you want, whether you wish to resell the sneakers or keep them yourself.

Final Thoughts

Sneakers are functional and fashionable. Whether you want to start collecting certain sneaker colorways or resell them to other collectors, there’s never been a better time to get started. You can get started with sneaker collecting and reselling with Rayobyte’s sneaker and ISP proxies. Learn more about how sneaker reselling works today.

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