Sneaker reselling is no longer the automatic payday it became during the industry’s biggest boom years. Resellers who once could buy popular Jordans, Dunks and limited releases at retail and immediately turn them for a sizable profit are now operating in a market where many sneakers sell for less than their original price.
The numbers show just how dramatically sneaker resale has changed. According to SneakerPing’s 2026 resale market study, 59.5 percent of 3,538 sneaker releases tracked between August 2024 and August 2026 most recently sold below retail. The median sneaker in the study traded 10.6 percent below its original price. Jordan performed even worse, with 70.7 percent of 605 releases selling below retail and the median Jordan trading 20 percent under retail.
That is a major reversal from the resale frenzy that helped transform sneakers into something closer to a speculative asset. In 2023, Reuters reported that the average resale premium for new Air Jordan 1 Retro High releases on StockX had fallen from 61 percent in 2020 to just 4 percent in 2023. Some Jordan 1 colorways were already trading below their original retail prices.
Supply is one major reason. For years, scarcity helped fuel sneaker resale because customers who missed a release often had no choice but to pay someone else a premium. As Nike increased production and expanded the number of releases, that scarcity weakened. In reporting originally published by The Wall Street Journal, sneaker reseller Anthony Treviso said of Nike, “They’re digging themselves a hole because they put out too much stuff that people don’t want.” The report found that Nike released more than 700 different Jordan sneakers in both 2022 and 2023 before beginning to pull back.
The people actually selling sneakers are feeling the difference. In a 2025 report from Front Office Sports, Vince Spano, co-owner of My Cuzin Vintage, recalled once buying 60 pairs of the same Jordan 3 at a mall. He said the economics look very different now because retro Jordans can later fall below retail. “The business is not as lucrative as it once was,” Spano said. New Jersey reseller Gabrielle Julio put it even more simply: “A raffle ticket isn’t easy money, it’s not a lottery ticket anymore.”
Sneaker resale also gets harder when the profit on paper is not the profit a seller actually keeps. According to StockX’s current seller fee schedule, sellers in its Verified Marketplace pay a 3 percent payment processing fee plus a transaction fee that ranges from 7 percent to 9 percent depending on their seller level. That means a sneaker selling slightly above retail can still become an unattractive flip after fees, purchase costs, and other expenses are considered.
Consumer taste has also become more fragmented. StockX reported in its 2024 State of Resale analysis that Nike and Jordan lost 11 percent and 12 percent of their respective sneaker market share on the platform compared with the previous year. During that same period, ASICS sales surged 589 percent, and adidas jumped 88 percent, while Nike Dunk trades fell 41 percent. Rather than everybody chasing the same handful of Nike and Jordan silhouettes, buyers increasingly spread their money across performance runners, retro models, and brands including ASICS, Salomon, and New Balance.
That diversification has continued. StockX reported in 2025 that ASICS sneaker sales increased another 71 percent during the first half of that year, while Salomon rose 53 percent. By 2026, however, Jordan was showing some signs of recovery. StockX’s August 2026 report showed Jordan sales up 6 percent during the first half of the year and average prices up 5 percent. The rebound is important because it shows sneaker resale is not dead. The market has simply become more selective.
Nike’s own business numbers have reflected some of the pressure. According to Nike’s fiscal 2025 results, Jordan Brand revenue fell 16 percent for the year to $7.27 billion. Nike said its overall gross margin was hurt partly by higher discounts and inventory-related costs. The company has since emphasized new products, stronger storytelling, and rebuilding its connection with consumers as part of its broader turnaround.
LeBron James also publicly questioned that cultural connection during the 2026 CNBC Sport x Boardroom Game Plan Summit. Speaking about Nike’s future, James told Boardroom, “You got to get back into the roots.” He said that includes having people in inner-city communities talking directly with younger consumers about what they like and dislike.
That cultural connection matters because scarcity alone does not create lasting sneaker resale value. A shoe has to be limited, but people also have to care enough to compete for it. Travis Scott collaborations, historically significant retros, and genuinely scarce projects can still generate substantial premiums. What has disappeared is the assumption that every Jordan, Dunk, or hyped release is guaranteed profit.
For buyers who actually want to wear their sneakers, that cooling market may be good news. More pairs are available near retail, fewer releases require an expensive secondary market purchase, and patience can sometimes result in paying less than the launch price.
For sneaker resellers, though, the era of simply buying whatever sells out and waiting for the price to rise has largely passed. The modern sneaker resale business rewards research, speed, inventory discipline, and an understanding of where culture is moving next. The money is still there, but the easy money is not.
