What is a Sneaker Bot?

Sneaker bots have taken the sneaker game by storm, allowing sneakerheads to automatically purchase limited edition shoes online. In this comprehensive 2500+ word guide, we‘ll cover everything you need to know about sneaker bots in extensive detail:

A sneaker bot is a software program that automates the online checkout process for limited sneaker releases. It runs automated tasks at lightning speed to add shoes to your cart, fill in your payment details, and rapidly submit the order to successfully buy shoes before they sell out.

Bots enable users to purchase multiple pairs at once and greatly increase the chances of copping coveted shoes that sell out in seconds. They are essential tools for sneakerheads looking to buy limited shoes for personal collections or resale.

How Do Sneaker Bots Actually Work?

Sneaker bots work by rapidly executing the same steps a normal user would take to purchase shoes, except much faster and more efficiently. This automation allows them to checkout before humanly possible.

Here‘s an overview of how a typical sneaker bot checkout process works:

Product Monitoring – Bots constantly monitor target websites for releases using keyword tracking, page change detection, and other methods.
Add to Cart – As soon as a shoe goes live, bots add desired sizes to the cart extremely quickly using automated form filling.
CAPTCHA Solving – Bots can generate and input solutions to CAPTCHA puzzles that protect against bots. Some use OCR technology to "read" and solve visual puzzles.
Auto-Fill – Payment details like names, addresses, and credit card numbers are programmatically entered into checkout forms in milliseconds.
Auto-Checkout – The full checkout process including shipping, taxes, submitting orders is automated and speeds through checkout.
Profile Management – Bots can cycle through multiple cached profiles, each with different payment accounts, shipping details, etc. to checkout multiple pairs.

Advanced bots also employ other tactics like using AI to detect restocks, automatically solving puzzles like slide CAPTCHAs, and masking their traffic with proxies and residential IPs to avoid detection.

Why Are Sneaker Bots So Much Faster?

Bots can process and submit checkout data in under 1 second, whereas the fastest humans take around 5-10 seconds at minimum. This small time difference makes a massive impact when trying to beat out thousands of other buyers.

Some key advantages that make sneaker bots lightning-fast include:

Automation – Every step from adding items to cart to submitting order forms is programmatically automated
Multi-tasking – Most bots run hundreds to thousands of tasks simultaneously across different sites, profiles and servers
Captcha Solving – Bots can generate captcha solutions without any human input required.
Caching – Payment and shipping details are cached so no manual typing or choosing is needed.
Synchronization – Bot tasks are perfectly synchronized and fire at the exact product release time.

Without bots, limited sneaker releases would sell out before 99% of buyers even added them to their carts. Their purchase automation provides a huge speed advantage over manual buyers.

Top Sneaker Bot Providers

There are a wide variety of powerful sneaker bots available for purchase to aid in copping limited shoes. Some of the most popular bots include:

ANB AIO

ANB AIO is one of the best all-in-one sneaker bots supporting major sites like Nike, Supreme, Foot sites, Yeezy Supply, Shopify, and more. Key features include:

Easy setup and configuration for beginners
Fast standalone checkout module
Unlimited tasks with proxies
Discord community support

Pricing starts around $500 for a lifetime license. It‘s one of the best balanced bots good for both professionals and newcomers.

Kodai

Kodai is well known as one of the fastest and most reliable bots with unique features like AI-powered site monitors and CAPTCHA solving. It dominates on Yeezy Supply in particular.

Key features:

Super fast checkout and autoresolve modules
Built-in proxies and servers
AI site monitors
Lifetime support and updates

The base version costs around $400. It‘s regarded as the top sneaker bot if speed is your top priority.

Balko

Balko is a veteran bot known for its strong Footsites and Shopify module.

Key features:

Top tier Foot sites and Shopify success
Thousands of concurrent tasks
Auto-captcha solving
iOS and Android support

Copies run $600+ resale. Balko remains one of the best options for Foot site releases in particular.

Cyber

Cyber is another fast pioneer bot with innovative features like AI-powered site monitors, advanced anti-captcha, and a unique "Kraken" mode.

Key features:

Highly optimized for Shopify
iOS compatible mobile botting
Kraken mode for lightning speed
Free version available

Lifetime copies run around $1,000 aftermarket. It excels on some Shopify sites like Kith and Off-White.

GANESHLIVE

GANESHLIVE is focused on EU sites and excels at copping shoes from retailers like Footlocker EU and Supreme EU.

Key features:

Specialized for EU sneaker sites
Fastest EU Shopify checkout times
Easy setup guides for beginners
Growing worldwide support

Copies run around $600. It‘s currently the go-to bot for EU-based sneakerheads.

Prism

Prism is another jack-of-all-trades bot succeeding on the majority of big sneaker sites including Nike, Adidas, Supreme, Yeezy Supply, Foot sites and Shopify.

Key features:

All-in-one support for major sites
Beginner friendly
Mobile botting capability
Hundreds of concurrent tasks

Lifetime copies run $300-$500. Prism is a great balanced pick good for high traffic Shopify and Nike sites.

This covers some of the heavy hitters, but there are dozens more great specialized bots like TSB, Phantom, Sole, Eve, Splashforce, Project Destroyer, Kylin and more. Prices range from $100 to $1000+ depending on features offered. It‘s best to read detailed sneaker bot reviews to gauge pros, cons and ideal use cases before choosing one.

Setting Up Proxies & Servers

While bots automate checkout processes, proxies and servers are essential for running them optimally. Here‘s an overview:

Sneaker Proxies

Proxies provide unique IPs for each bot task, which prevents your accounts from getting banned when running hundreds of tasks. Retailers easily detect and block duplicate IPs.

Datacenter proxies don‘t work since sneaker sites block their known IP ranges. Residential proxies are required, as they source IPs from real home and mobile devices to appear more human like.

Rotating residential proxies with regular IP rotations are ideal for avoiding blacklists when botting. Sticky sessions work for maintaining carts and order submissions. Avoid free public proxies as they are slow and often blacklisted.

Experienced sneaker botters recommend using private, paid residential proxy services catered specifically to sneaker sites. These offer optimal IP quality, refresh rates and success rates for limited shoe releases.

Sneaker Servers

Dedicated proxy servers allow running 1000s of tasks from a single, powerful piece of hardware. This maximizes efficiency compared to spreading tasks over many individual devices.

Common server specs include SSD or NVMe storage for blazing speed, high thread CPUs like Intel i9s, and enterprise grade network connectivity (25Gbps+ recommended). Some providers offer "sneaker ready" turnkey packages optimized specifically for sneaker botting.

With residential proxies and a solid sneaker server, you can run tasks smoothly for even extremely hyped shoe releases. Take the Yeezy Boost 350 v2 Mono Pack drop for example – only 3,000 units released but over 300,000 people went for them. Botters with the right setups cooked hard, while many manual users took Ls.

Optimal Botting Setups

The optimal botting setup varies based on your location, target sites, number of tasks, and other factors. Here are general guidelines for maximizing cop potential:

Proxies: Rotate US and EU proxies matching release regions. Refresh IPs frequently, every session if possible.
Server: For heavy botting (>500 tasks) a dedicated server is highly recommended. 32GB to 64GB RAM models with 12-16+ CPU threads offer a good balance.
Bot Copies: Run 2-3 copies of your main bot for better multitasking and fewer crashes.
Tasks: Scale tasks relative to release stock and site. Start with 50-100 tasks per site, scale up from there. Thousands likely overkill in most cases.
Profiles: Jigged accounts that mimic real users are ideal. Aged 6 months+, reasonable follower/purchase history, real looking names.
Browsers: Chrome/Firefox configured for maximum speed. Disable images, extensions, popups, VPNs for optimal performance.

Getting these elements tuned perfectly takes copping potential to the next level, whether going after limited Nike, Yeezy, Supreme or other popular sneaker releases.

Joining Sneaker Cookgroups

Cookgroups are group chats and online communities that share valuable intel for acquiring limited shoes. They offer:

Early links, backdoor links, and release info
Restock notifications
Copping guides and bot/proxy setup advice
Group buys, slots and cart services
Brick flips, trade news and reselling tips

Top groups like SoleSociety, SoleSavy, NotifyEU and The Sole Kitchen charge $20-$50 monthly for access. Higher tier groups provide slots, meaning members will buy shoes for you with their own bots and profiles if you pay them a small proxy fee.

Though not mandatory, cookgroups provide invaluable insider info that gives an edge when competing for super limited shoes. The cost is relatively low compared to proxies, bots and servers.

Top Sites for Sneaker Bots

While every site requires specialized bots and setups, some common targets for sneaker bots include:

Nike SNKRS

Nike‘s official raffle and launch app with most limited Nike releases like Retro Jordans and Off-White collabs.
Draws and shock drops with extremely limited stock (often under 2000 units for coveted shoes)
Requires jigged accounts aged 6m+ with solid purchase history for optimal success

Adidas

Adidas Confirmed app and website for hyped Yeezy releases
Yeezy Supply site drops new Yeezys randomly – ideal for fast Shopify bots
Tight stock (under 50k units frequently) leads to instant sell outs

Supreme

NYC streetwear brand beloved for collaborations with Nike, Louis Vuitton, Murakami etc.
US and EU web stores get botted heavily week to week for new product drops
Sales limited per item/profile leads to swift sellouts on anything hype

Shopify Sites

Tons of sneaker boutiques run on Shopify like Kith, Bodega, Social Status, Undefeated, Patta etc.
Ideal for scalable all-in-one bots good at defeating Shopify protections
Limited collab stock causes sellouts in 10-30 seconds on many drops

Footsites

Official retailer sites like Foot Locker, Champs, Footaction, Eastbay, Finishline
Release hot shoes like Retro Jordans, Yeezys, Off-Whites and other Nike collabs
Botting required for any high heat or limited drops due to low stock

This covers the major venues, but any site releasing exclusive sneakers in low quantities will require bots to take Ws consistently.

Sneaker Bot Legality and Risks

A common question – are sneaker bots actually legal to use? In most countries including the US and EU, bots sit in a legal gray area. While banned under site terms in some cases, botting itself is not specifically illegal. However there are some risks to consider:

Payment Cancellations – Some banks and payment providers are getting stricter on cancelling orders deemed high fraud risks, including multiples from bots.

Account Bans – Accounts running high numbers of tasks are more likely to get banned, especially if using poor proxies and jigging. But seasoned botters are rarely fully blacklisted.

Order Cancellations – Retailers may cancel orders that trip fraud flags. Manual users face this too. Using solid jigged accounts and cards helps avoid cancellations.

Blacklisting – Your local IP, proxies or server may get temporarily blacklisted by a site for aggressive botting. This is usually temporary.

Captcha Increase – Sites may force more captcha solving when detecting bots, reducing checkout speeds. But bots can adapt to new captcha implementations.

So while not explicitly illegal, botters should take care to avoid getting accounts and orders cancelled. Overall the risk of civil or criminal legal issues is low. Just use best practices around quality accounts, proxies, server and payment methods.

Building Your Own Sneaker Bot

With programming knowledge, you can build a custom sneaker bot from the ground up. This allows full control compared to buying an existing solution.

Programming Languages

Popular languages for sneaker bots include:

Node.js – Event-driven and great for web automation. Top choice for many developers.
Python – Strong bot frameworks like Selenium. Simpler syntax than JavaScript.
Java – Statically typed and good for larger projects.
C# (.NET) – Fast performance and Windows centric dev.

Node is a top choice for its speed, scalability and robust ecosystem of web automation tools. But seasoned coders can build advanced bots in any modern language.

Functionality To Implement

Here are some key features to program when developing a custom sneaker bot:

Site monitoring, product tracking and inventory parsing
Lightning fast adding items to cart
Form field auto-completion like names, addresses, emails etc.
Credit card validation and tokenization for payments
CAPTCHA solving via OCR, APIs or human solvers
Profile/task management and concurrent multitasking
Proxy integration for IP rotation and blacklist avoidance
Checkout synchronization to auto-process orders
Mobile functionality to run tasks on phones (iOS or Android)

Examples and boilerplate code can be found on Github by searching "sneaker bot" for inspiration. The level of difficulty depends heavily on coding proficiency. Given enough time and skill, a homemade bot can compete with or surpass commercial options and for a fraction of the cost.

In Closing

Sneaker bots remain a fundamental tool for succeeding in the competitive limited sneaker release market. With the right setup and strategies, they offer a clear edge versus manual copping. This 2500+ word guide covers everything from how sneaker bots work under the hood to proven techniques for acquiring the most coveted kicks as a sneaker reseller or collector. Remember to use best practices around quality residential proxies, servers, jigged accounts and payment methods to avoid issues with cancellations and bans. While risky inventory investments, mastering sneaker bots provides opportunities to build a profitable resale business and personal collection. Just stay up to date on the latest anti-bot measures and bot counter technologies like shoe reservations, CAPTCHA innovations and more.

What is a Sneaker Bot?