When you need to bring in some extra cash, what’s the first thing you think to do? Sell something, right? You think about maybe having a yard sale or selling some old comics online. Maybe you’ve even taken some of your gently used clothes to a local consignment shop. You can even sell your shoes!
Selling shoes online has become a big business. Whether they’re new, gently used, or vintage — somebody is going to want to buy them. But where should you sell them?
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Where to Sell Shoes: 20 Legitimate Online Resale Websites
The shoe market is booming. This means that, whether you want to sell some never-been-worn kicks to bring in some extra cash or are just hoping to bring in some extra money by selling a portion of your shoe collection, someone is going to want to buy what you are selling. And, thanks to social media and resale websites, finding that someone is easier than ever.
Best for Auctioning: eBay
- Listing fee: Based on volume. First 250 items are free. Every item after those costs $0.35 per listing per category. If you list one item in two categories, you’ll pay $0.70 to list that item.
- Their commission: $0.30 plus up to 12.9% of the final sale price.
- Payment: Direct deposit into your bank account
eBay is the most popular and widely recognized sites for selling…pretty much everything, including your shoes. You can list shoes of any condition and choose whether to list the item as “buy it now” (good for gently used/easy to find shoes) or put it up for auction (best for harder-to-find/collectible shoes).
What you need to know: In the event of a dispute between the buyer and seller, eBay is difficult to reach and almost always defaults to favor the buyer. Even when a seller specifies “no returns,” eBay will sometimes override that and allow buyers to return items because of an ambiguous loophole that the item is not as described in the listing. Make sure to keep the photos of your item and protect yourself by listing anything a buyer could cite as a “flaw.”
Best for Popular Brands: Poshmark
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: $2.95 for sales under $15. 20% of final order price for sales over $15
- Payment: Earnings are deposited in your Poshmark account. You can withdraw them by having them directly deposited into your bank account or by requesting a check
Poshmark works best for designer label items that are, at most, gently used. One of the best perks of selling here is being part of the Poshmark community. The social aspect can really help you boost sales.
What you need to know: Poshmark buyers pay for priority shipping, which is very convenient because it allows you to use free USPS shipping boxes and includes $100 of insurance in case your package is lost or stolen. Buyers can be picky, though, with some leaving mediocre reviews because damage that occurred to your packaging during shipping.
Best for Designer Items: The RealReal
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: 20%-80%, depending on factors like the item, its sale price, and how much you sell per year on the site. Generally, the higher the item’s price, the lower the commission taken by The RealReal. More details here
- Payment: Direct deposit, site credit, or check
TRR is sort of like ThredUp but for luxury goods. You send them your stuff and they take care of the rest. They have a special commission category for men’s sneakers, and other shoes fall under the “all items” commission structure.
What you need to know: The RealReal is backed by Neiman Marcus, so there’s an already-established clientele for high-end merchandise. Complaints say customer service can be iffy, though, and between the pricing and high commission you won’t end up making as much money as you’d make on a different site.
Best for Variety: Mercari
- Listing fee: None, but there is a 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee, regardless of how the buyer chooses to send payment
- Their commission: 10% of your sales price
- Payment: Direct Deposit (sellers have the option of expediting funds transfers for a $2.00 fee)
Mercari is a fantastic place to sell pretty much anything you have on hand. You’ll have to do more work on these listings than you would elsewhere, but the site has a guide for helping you optimize your listings.
What you need to know: Mercari almost always sides with buyers in the event of a dispute. They will hold the money until the buyer approves the item, which they’re required to do within 72 hours. If the buyer declines the item, Mercari will arrange return shipping so you’ll get the rejected item back.
Best for Low Effort: ThredUp
- Listing fee: free
- Their commission: 20%-97% depending on the price of the item
- Payment: After the two-week waiting period has passed, you can choose Direct Deposit (via Stripe), PayPal, or store credit
ThredUp takes a bigger commission than other sites because they do most of the work for you. All you have to do is order a free “Clean Out Kit.” Fill the kit with your stuff and ship it to ThredUp. ThredUp does everything else for you.
What you need to know: Sellers have no control over item pricing, so if you have high-end designer brands, you’ll make more money on another site. This is the best option for someone looking to clear out shoes that are still in good condition but are mid-tier brands.
Best for Wide Access: Amazon
- Listing fee: $0.99 per item for people on the “Individual Plan” or $39.99 per month for people on the “Professional Plan”
- Their commission: It varies a lot
- Payment: Direct deposit to your bank account
Amazon charges sellers a lot of different fees and commissions. You can find more information here. They also have the largest customer base of any of the sites listed here, which can help your items sell faster.
What you need to know: You’ll get access to the most buyers through Amazon, but setting up items for sale is time-consuming and cumbersome, and the fees are high.
Best for Women’s Items: Tradesy
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: $7.50 on items that sell for less than $50. Items that sell for more than $50 are charged a 19.8% commission fee
- Payment: Direct deposit to your bank account or debit card, PayPal, or store credit. The payment processing fee is 2.9%
Tradesy is a company that was started “by women, for women.” Like eBay, it’s a peer-to-peer platform where you do the work to create your listings, you choose your price, and you ship the items yourself.
What you need to know: How your products look is important on Tradesy. The company says it will “enhance” your images to make your items look enticing. Unfortunately, “enhanced” photos can sometimes lead to returns because the items end up not meeting the buyers’ expectations. The good news is that Tradesy covers the cost of return shipping. Tradesy will also send you a pre-paid, pre-addressed shipping kit, “complete with beautiful packaging.”
Best for Menswear: Grailed
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: 9%
- Payment: PayPal
Grailed is to menswear what ThredUp is to women’s wear. They accept new and gently used clothing (they aren’t limited to menswear, but that’s the site’s primary focus). The site brags that it has the lowest commission rates, but it also has a higher payment processing fee than other marketplaces. U.S. domestic payments are charged 3.49% + $0.49. International payments are charged 4.99% + $0.49. Grailed recently absorbed its sister site Heroine.
What you need to know: Of all the sites listed here, Grailed’s customer service team earns the most rave reviews. Unfortunately, there are some scam sellers who try to pass off fakes as designer goods, so just be prepared in case buyers ask you to verify the authenticity of the item.
Best for Simple Fees: Kixify
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: 10%
- Payment: PayPal
Kixify allows you to list as many pairs of shoes as you want to list, though they do ask that you be mindful of “the flow of your store.” Kixify also allows sellers to create their own policies and communicate them via their individual stores. While you do have to do the work to make your store look good, the simple fee structure and quick payment system can make that work worth it.
What you need to know: Kixify earns a lot of complaints about website organization, and there have been a number of scammers selling items, so you’ll need to start out selling a few small-dollar items to build a seller reputation.
Best for Heels: BuyMyHeels
Website No Android App No iOS App
- Listing fee: £5 per listing (currently about $5.83 USD)
- Their commission: None
- Payment: Buyers pay sellers directly
Buy My Heels is a U.K. based shoe selling platform that works more like Craigslist than Grailed or Amazon. Users pay a listing fee to place ads for each pair of shoes they want to sell. Then the buyer and seller work out the payment and shipping arrangements between themselves.
What you need to know: Because you’re shipping globally, it can take a long time for the buyer to receive the shoes. You’ll also have to complete customs forms, and you’ll need to take any customs fees into account when pricing your items.
Best for Outright Payments: Crossroads Trading
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: 50%-70% depending on how you choose to receive payment
- Payment: “Cash” (via Zelle) or store credit
Crossroads Trading offers both in person service and service by mail. Their service by mail is similar to ThredUp. You order a bag, fill it with your stuff, and then send it back to Crossroads. Unlike ThredUp, however, Crossroads pays you outright for whatever items they choose to accept. If they reject any items they’ll send those back to you for a $15 fee.
What you need to know: Because there are multiple locations, you’ll find different levels of customer service at different shops. And they only want current, on-trend clothing, so anything that’s vintage or even a few seasons old will be rejected and returned to you.
Best for Sneakers: Flight Club
Website No Android App No iOS Link for the US
- Listing fee: $5
- Their commission: 9.5%
- Payment: Bank Transfer or PayPal (minus the 2.9% payment processing fee)
To sell on Flight Club, you submit your listing via the site’s online form. Then you ship your shoes to the company. They will evaluate your shoes for authenticity, wear/tear, etc. and then list them either on Flight Club or the GOAT app.
What you need to know: You have to hand over the shoes to Flight Club, where they will be evaluated. They will need to be well-known brands in excellent condition in order to be accepted.
Best Middle-Man Platform: Flyp
- Listing fee: Varies
- Their commission: Varies
- Payment: Varies
Flyp acts as a “middle-man” between you and your buyers. You create a “Lot” of the items you want to sell (along with photos of the items). Flyp matches you with a “Pro Seller”. If you agree to that Pro Seller’s terms and conditions, you ship your items to the seller, and they take care of the rest for you. They’ll list your items on sites and apps (some included here) and create your listings. Then, when someone buys your stuff, they’ll send you payment.
What you need to know: You don’t have to do much legwork because the “Pro Seller” takes care of it. However, you’ll end up paying money to both Flyp and your “Pro Seller,” which cuts into your earnings. But this is a good option if you just want to clear out unused items and make a bit of money as a bonus.
Best for Anonymity: StockX
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: $9 minimum. Fee varies based on your Seller Level
- Payment: Bank or Debit Card Transfer, PayPal, Venmo, (a 3% payment processing fee is charged for each withdrawal)
StockX is an “anonymous” auction site. To sell items, you create your listing and choose whether you want to accept bids or sell for a specific price. After you create your listing, you have two days to ship your items to StockX. When your items sell, StockX sends them to the buyer for you and processes your payments. Nobody knows who originally owned the item or where the item gets sent.
What you need to know: StockX accepts only deadstock products, meaning they have to be new and unworn. So this site only works if you’re selling clearance or last-call items you picked up at a bargain price that might still be highly sought overseas, or that buyers want to purchase below retail but above the clearance price you found.
Best for Volume Sellers: ASOS Marketplace
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: 20%
- Payment: PayPal or bank/debit card transfer via Stripe
You’ll need to have at least 15 items ready to sell to get started with ASOS. In order to keep selling with this site, you’ll need to keep your customer feedback rating higher than 90%. ASOS also has stricter rules and requirements than other sites. You either have to design the clothing yourself or, if you’re reselling, it has to be made before January 1, 2000.
What you need to know: This is a good option if you have a lot of older, vintage items that are back in fashion, particularly if they’re from independent brands. Customer service has gotten a lot of complaints, though, and sizing issues are rampant because this is a global platform and different countries have different sizing standards.
Best for Shipping Choice: Depop
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: 10%
- Payment: PayPal or direct deposit via Depop Payments (payouts are charged a processing fee of 3.49% + $0.49)
Depop gives you the choice between asking your buyers to pay for shipping or paying for shipping costs yourself. Typically, sellers earn more when they ask their buyers to pay for shipping. Depop, like Poshmark and other sites, relies heavily on the established social community of the site to increase sales.
What you need to know: The app can be very glitchy, and sellers complain that there are hidden fees that aren’t disclosed.
Best for No Fees: Vinted
- Listing fee: Free
- Their commission: None
- Payment: Store credit, direct deposit
Vinted is one of the few online marketplaces that doesn’t charge sellers any listing or commission fees. Sellers get to keep everything they earn. The money they make gets deposited first into their Vinted Wallet (which is basically store credit). From there sellers can choose whether to send their funds to their bank accounts or spend it on-site.
What you need to know: The site is easy to navigate and listing items for sale is simple, but some sellers say the platform doesn’t back them up when a buyer complains about a purchase.
Best for Connecting with Buyers: Bonanza
Website Android Link No iOS App
- Listing fee: $0.25 per item for non-members
- Their commission: It’s complicated. You can find more information here
- Payment: Buyers pay sellers directly via PayPal, Stripe, or Amazon Pay
Selling on Bonanza is not nearly as straightforward as it is elsewhere. There are a variety of fees and rules you’ll need to understand to be successful. Considering that the site partners with Google Shopping to help you sell your stuff, though, the extra work might be worth it.
What you need to know: This site isn’t for beginners. Start with a different platform.
Best for Simple Fees: Swap
Website Android Link No iOS App for the U.S.
- Listing fee: $19.99 per box sent to Swap
- Their commission: 30%-85% depending on the sale price of an item
- Payout: Store credit or PayPal
Swap is sort of like ThredUp — you put all of the stuff you want to sell into a package and pay the “inbound processing” fee ($19.99). Swap evaluates everything and decides which items to accept/reject. If items are rejected, you can pay an additional fee to have them shipped back to you. Payment is via PayPal, or you can get store credit. People who choose store credit get an extra 20% tacked on to their payment.
What you need to know: You end up paying twice because of the listing fee and commission and then will pay a third time if you want the rejected items back. However, this is a very popular site for selling gently used items with high turnover, like children’s shoes. It can be a better deal than ThredUp if you can use the store credit option.
Best for Designer Bridal Shoes: Once Wed
Website No Android App No iOS App
- Listing fee: $5 for shoes, $19.95 for dresses
- Their commission: None
- Payment: Seller’s choice, but Once Wed recommends PayPal or Escrow.com
Once Wed is pretty simple: You create a listing and pay your listing fee (shoes are wedding accessories). Once Wed publishes your listing in its marketplace. Everything that happens after that — communication with buyers, invoicing, payment processing, etc., is up to you.
What you need to know: They offer an escrow option, which helps buyers feel more secure about purchasing unseen items online.
Check out this video for tips on how to get started when selling items online:
9 Ways to Sell Shoes Locally and (and Maybe Avoid Shipping Fees)
Crossroads Trading offers its marketplace to sellers both via mail and in-person purchasing. It is far from the only option for local sellers who might want to skip the shipping fees. Some local marketplaces even skip the commission fees, too. The caveat: be sure you take a companion with you when arranging to meet someone to exchange expensive products for money, or if that’s not possible, arrange to meet in a very public parking area or outside the police station. Here are the best ways to sell shoes to local buyers.
OfferUp
- Listing fee: Free
- Their commission: None if the buyer is local and pays with cash
- Payment: Seller’s choice
OfferUp is free for people to use, but if you want the site to help you promote your stuff, you’ll need to pay a few fees. You can find that info here. And, of course, if you sell something to someone online and have to send it somewhere, you’ll need to decide whether you’re going to pay the shipping costs yourself or ask the buyer to cover them.
Mercari Local
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: 10%
- Payment: Direct Deposit or Instant Pay
Sellers on Mercari Local can choose to deliver their items themselves or use a third party (you can coordinate third party pick up/delivery via Mercari). If you choose to use a delivery person, the buyer will pay for those fees.
VarageSale
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: None
- Payment: Seller’s Choice
VarageSale is a site that facilitates selling in person whenever possible. Like Craigslist, you create your listing and upload photos of your item. Then, when someone sees it, they contact you and you arrange payment and a time to meet and exchange the item. One thing that helps set VarageSale apart is its MeetUp feature. Instead of sending your info to a stranger, you arrange a MeetUp via VarageSale’s tool. It keeps your information (mostly) anonymous.
Facebook Marketplace
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: 5% on sales over $8, a flat $0.40 for sales under $8
- Payment: Direct deposit to your Facebook Marketplace account
Facebook Marketplace’s listing and fee structure is super simple and easy to understand. However, Facebook doesn’t have any measures in place to vet sellers or buyers. If you need to sell something quickly, however, it can be a good option.
Craigslist
- Listing fee: Free
- Their commission: None
- Payment: Seller’s choice
Craigslist is probably the most widely known portal for people who want to sell shoes online. It’s free to create a listing and then you manage every aspect of the sale from there, including getting paid and getting your shoes to their buyer.
5Miles
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: 10%
- Payment: 5Miles wallet or direct deposit
5Miles is an online auction site, similar to eBay. One thing that sets it apart, though, is their “Serious Bid Guarantee.” The Serious Bid Guarantee requires both the seller and the buyer pay $5 to get the bidding started. If either party breaks their end of the deal, the other party gets the money. That’s pretty unique.
Buffalo Exchange
Website No Android App No iOS Link
- Listing fee: None
- Their commission: Buffalo Exchange takes 50-75% of their sale price as a commission.
- Payment: Cash or store credit
Buffalo Exchange is a consignment shop: you take your clothes and shoes in; they take a look at your stuff and decide what to buy based on whether or not they think it will sell. You get either 25% of their estimated sale price in cash or 50% of the estimated sale price in store credit.
Local Consignment Stores
Buffalo Exchange is just one of the consignment store chains out there. Plato’s Closet is another. A quick Google search for “Consignment stores near me” will turn up plenty of stores that might be willing to take your new or gently used shoes. The drawback of these stores is that someone at the store has to accept your shoes for reselling. You could end up driving all over town trying to find a good deal for your kicks.
Garage Sale
Garage sales, yard sales, apartment sales and even estate sales are fantastic places to sell your shoes —especially the shoes you don’t have any luck selling online. Garage sale shoppers will buy anything if the price is right. Even if you don’t have enough stuff to sell in a garage sale of your own, there are always neighborhood sales or community sales you can join.
The Bottom Line
Selling shoes online accomplishes two goals: it helps you bring in some extra money, and it helps you create space in your closet(s). Use any of the sites or suggestions listed here to help you get as much money as possible for your footwear.
FAQs
This varies, depending on which site you use. If you want to set up an independent site of your own, you might want to start with something like Shopify or Squarespace.
Does it show a lot of wear and tear? Is it scuffed or ripped? Are there marks on it? The closer to new an item is, the more likely it is to be resalable.
Absolutely! As long as you have come into possession of the item legally, you can resell it somewhere. In fact, there are people who earn full-time incomes selling secondhand goods on sites like eBay and Craigslist!