Contents
Introduction
It used to be difficult to buy exclusive & hyped sneakers if you live in Australia. Once they were sold out in retail stores, you had to meet up with someone dodgy from gumtree to get the latest Jordans or Yeezys.
However, it has never been easier to buy exclusive, hyped sneakers that quickly sell out in retail stores such as Yeezys, Jordans and Off-Whites.
If you live in Australia (or New Zealand), you now have access to:
- GOAT: the global destination for authentic sneakers;
- StockX: the stock market for things; and
- PUSHAS: Australia's Most Trusted Authenticated Sneaker Store.
Both GOAT & StockX are the biggest sneaker resale sites in world. PUSHAS is the biggest online sneaker consignment platform in Australia & New Zealand.
All three platforms provide an easy & convenient way to buy sneakers without the hassle. They also all have their unique method of authenticating sneakers to ensure any risk of fakes are mitigated so you're safe to purchase from these platforms.
Each store has their pros and cons which we will address below.
GOAT
Pros
Huge selection
Goat is perhaps one of the biggest sneaker platforms in the world. This means if you shop with GOAT, you will have access to the largest catalogue of sneakers available. No matter what sneaker you're looking for in whatever size, you're bound to find it on GOAT.
This makes GOAT the default sometimes, just because you can't find sneakers elsewhere. StockX and PUSHAS are improving both their stock availabilities but GOAT is probably still the go-to for some of those niche sneakers.
Simple user interface
GOAT has the simplest user interface for buying & selling since it has a cleanest iOS app & website in the sneaker game.
There's no complicated bidding process involved unlike StockX to keep things simple. PUSHAS is close to how seamless GOAT is but GOAT still takes the cake on this one.
Used Sneakers
GOAT is the only platform in this comparison that sells used sneakers. StockX and PUSHAS both only sell brand-new, deadstock sneakers to their customers. If you're tight on budget or need a vintage pair, GOAT is your best bet for used sneakers.
Large userbase
A large userbase can be very beneficial for buying and selling sneakers. This could mean that your sneakers sell slightly quicker than other platforms.
With that said, the StockX and PUSHAS userbase is growing rapidly so they are by no means slow in moving your sneakers.
Cons
Expensive with shipping fees and other charges
GOAT is based in California and so if you buy sneakers from GOAT, you are subject to expensive international shipping fees and other charges.
Below is a comparison of GOAT prices compared to local prices on a pair of Jordan 1 Light Smoke Greys.
PUSHAS Price
GOAT Pricing
As you can see, pricing is much more expensive with GOAT. Even though the sneaker price is technically cheaper than a local store like PUSHAS, the total price is much more expensive.
Click here to purchase the Jordan 1 High Light Smoke Greys from PUSHAS.
This is because your purchase is subject to high shipping and other fees when purchasing from GOAT.
Not to mention, GOAT notes that import duties are not included in the total price. Here, the Australian government might be looking to charge further taxes upon arrival to Australian customs.
Therefore, you could be paying a hefty premium when purchasing from GOAT instead of an Australian store such as PUSHAS. PUSHAS on the other hand, keeps pricing very simple.
Less customer support
GOAT (similar to StockX) are huge successful multi-billion dollar companies. This means they cannot provide tailored service like a smaller business. It is very difficult with GOAT to speak to a real human.
Moreover, customer support is not based in Australia or New Zealand so the customer support that you get with PUSHAS is much more personalised and also more effective.
Maybe we're old-school but we love speaking to an actual human!
Slower shipping
GOAT will ship from their warehouse in California as opposed to a local store ike PUSHAS which is based in Australia. This means you generally will get a longer wait time for your packages to get to you from the US.
If you're willing to wait, as opposed to get super fast shipping from PUSHAS then GOAT is still fine.
Lower profits for sellers
Even though customers are paying more with GOAT than with local stores like PUSHAS, sellers generally make less through selling with GOAT.
This is because sellers only get paid on the sneaker sale price, not including any of the shipping or fees that inflate the price for Australian sneaker buyers.
Also, you need to ship the sneakers you are selling to GOAT. This costs a lot since you're shipping internationally, compared to shipping domestically to a platform like PUSHAS.
StockX
Pros
Access to Data
StockX has the largest collection of sneakers sales data in the world.
The data is up to date and you can see what people are willing to pay to buy and sell at, as well as past sales data and volumes on any particular sneaker.
This is very beneficial since you have transparency in prices so you know not to get ripped off buy any private seller.
Most people use StockX prices as a surrogate for the up to date "market" price of any particular sneaker.
However, do make sure that you have the "true" price of the sneaker and not just the initial sneaker price. You need to press buy, and then "review" purchase to get the true price including all fees and charges.
The initial sneaker price is not a true reflection of the market price of the sneaker - especially for Australians.
Huge selection
StockX has a comparable selection to GOAT. Therefore you are likely going to find any particular sneaker in any size you are looking for (though you might have to pay a premium).
You'll be able to find niche sneakers dating back from when Jordan first released the Jordan 1. It's insane the range that StockX has!
Bidding system
Some sneaker buyers and sellers love the StockX bidding system. It allows for you to place bids to buy and sell sneakers in real time.
If you're not happy with what sellers are offering, you can just leave a low bid and maybe someone might sell it to you. If you know what you're doing, you might be able to find and snipe bargains if you hunt long enough.
Cons
Expensive with shipping fees and other charges
StockX is based in Detroit and so if you buy sneakers from StockX, you are subject to expensive international shipping fees and other charges.
Below is a comparison of StockX prices compared to local prices on a pair of Jordan 1 Light Smoke Greys.
As you can see below, even though StockX initial price for the sneaker is lower, with all fees and charges added, you are paying a 10% premium through StockX over using a local store like PUSHAS.
PUSHAS Price
StockX Price
Prices can also be a bit confusing as well.
If you press buy on the sneaker, you need to be logged in to see all the fees and charges in your total purchase price.
Also, clicking "buy" shows you a estimate, but it's not until you click "review purchase" that you get the true total price after fees and charges.
Note that the pricing of this screenshot is slightly cheaper than the final price of the first StockX screenshot.
Less customer support
StockX (similar to GOAT) are huge successful multi-billion dollar companies. This means they cannot provide tailored service like a smaller business. It is very difficult with StockX to speak to a real human.
Moreover, customer support is not based in Australia or New Zealand so the customer support is much better withe PUSHAS.
Slower shipping
The StockX bidding system is a double edged sword as it means that you have to first place a bid, wait some time, get your bid accepted by a seller, wait for seller to ship the sneaker to StockX to verify, then finally wait for sneakers to be shipped to you from the US.
This could take anywhere from 3 to 30+ days.
Low profits for sellers
Similarly to GOAT, StockX provides lower profits for sellers, even though it usually ends up being more expensive for buyers.
This is because the sneaker price is lower - resulting in a lower payout for sellers. But the fees and charges are higher for buyers - resulting in higher prices paid by the buyer.
PUSHAS
Pros
Cheaper prices
As shown above, PUSHAS prices are generally cheaper overall compared to GOAT & StockX. Even though the sneaker price might be higher, once you factor in currency conversion, fees, shipping and other charges, you're actually paying much higher prices with GOAT & StockX than you would with PUSHAS.
Most buyers don't realise this until the money has been deducted from their account.
Superior quality control
PUSHAS is the most trusted platform in Australia as they have a stellar reputation by their customers for the authenticity of their sneakers.
PUSHAS is a smaller company compared to the others and therefore they have less volume going through their authentication center. With less volume, you're more likely going to take extra care in authenticating the sneakers, compared to GOAT & StockX whereby there's so much volume going through that mistakes may happen.
Faster shipping
Sneakers are generally stored at either the Sydney or Los Angeles distribution centre and pre-authenticated before the sale occurs.
This reduces shipping time from your purchase so you get your sneakers faster.
Other platforms have longer lead times as they need to be shipped from the seller to their authentication centre (this could take 2-7 days) before they are shipped out to the customer. For PUSHAS, this only occurs for a small % of sneakers.
Great customer support
PUSHAS provides better customer support as the team is Australian based. The PUSHAS team is also smaller, which means you actually get humans responding to your enquiries and emails rather than an automated response system.
Faster & higher payouts for sellers
Other platforms may take weeks or months to pay our sellers on their platforms. PUSHAS commits to payouts scheduled for Thursday the following week after a sale.
Furthermore, PUSHAS includes fees to buyers in the total sale price unlike GOAT & StockX who charge buyers fees on top of sale price. This means PUSHAS sellers usually get a higher payout compared to when selling on GOAT or StockX.
This is because they are paid the total sale price (including all fees but excluding shipping) rather than the sneaker sale price only (excluding fees, shipping etc).
Catered to bulk sellers
PUSHAS sale process is catered towards sellers who sell more than 1 sneaker at a time. GOAT and StockX are more catered to sellers who sell individual sneakers.
Instead of listing individual pairs, you can list pairs, edit prices, and ship in bulk which could save you a lot of time and costs. If you're looking to sell serious volume, PUSHAS is the better alternative.
Cons
Not as much variety
Since PUSHAS is only Australia based, it doesn't get as much sneakers as the other platforms. There may be certain sneakers or certain sizes that you might be looking for that is not available.
PUSHAS specialises with hyped sneakers only so it might be difficult to find a niche sneaker that is not popular.
Focused on Australian & New Zealand customers
Since PUSHAS specialises in Australia and New Zealand, the shipping may not be as fast going to customers outside of this region. Shipping can range from 5-9 business days.
If you're not from Australia or New Zealand, you are unable to sell with PUSHAS. There are exceptions however for bulk sellers who can send more than 20 pairs at a time. With that said, bulk sellers will have to pay international shipping to send their sneakers to PUSHAS.
Sellers must ship sneakers to PUSHAS before sale
Sellers are required to ship sneakers out to be authenticated before even being listed. Some sellers rather ship after sale and would rather hold onto & store their sneakers instead.
However, some sellers prefer to ship & securely store sneakers with PUSHAS to save space. If you sell your sneakers to a private buyer, PUSHAS can also ship to your customer to save you the hassle of doing it yourself.
Conclusion
All three platforms are reputable so you really can't go wrong with GOAT, StockX or PUSHAS.
We recommend you cross shop prices and ensure you look at the final prices (i.e. price that includes all taxes and shipping) from all three platforms before you make a purchase.
However, if you value better service, prices and convenience, PUSHAS edges out as the platform of choice for both buyers and sellers of exclusive sneakers.
Check out PUSHAS.com for the latest authenticated sneakers.
Shoutout to members of AMNotify Australia cook group contributing to this article.
