Generally, when people want to get basketball shoes they are usually skeptical about shopping online. This skepticism isn’t unfounded as there are a lot of risks involved with getting shoes online.
However, in today’s article we’re going to help you get the best out of purchasing basketball shoes online.
Factors Likely To Influence Your Choice
There are a few factors that could determine what store or method you will be purchasing your shoe from/with.
So, it is important that you already have these in mind before you start looking at the options available. These factors are:
1. Your Budget
The first and most important part of purchasing anything at all is your budget.
Prices for sneakers vary across retailers, sites, and brands. So, having a budget will help make the decision that works best for you and your pocket.
2. Release Year Of The Shoes
Some stores, after a while, do not restock old shoes once they are sold out. Also, some sites might take time to get new arrivals. So, the year of release will also determine where you will buy.
If you want shoes that have been released long before, then, there are particular sites that you will have to purchase from.
3. Location
This is another very big factor that will influence where you’ll buy from. Not all stores ship internationally, therefore, if you aren’t based in the US, then you will have to find other options.
4. Company Policies
Company policy is another huge factor. Do they have good customer service? Do you get your money back if what you get is not what you ordered? Do they have customer protection policies in place?
These are some of the questions many online shoppers ask before deciding which store to purchase from. Because if anything goes wrong, you want to be sure that your money does not go to waste.
5. Brand
Except when you are purchasing from original brand stores, some online stores might not feature all the brands you love.
For example, if your budget cannot cover a mainstream brand and you need something less expensive.
So, you need to decide what brand you intend to buy before you start searching.
6. Urgency
The final thing you need to decide is how urgently you need the shoes. Are you willing to wait 20 to 30 days for a delivery?
You need to decide this also, as some stores take long delivery time to certain locations — especially if it is free shipping.
It is essential that you make up your mind on all these factors before going to the rest of this article. This will help you avoid wasting time in stores that cannot give you what you want.
As we go further, you will also be seeing how each of the options apply to your factors. Then, you can make the choice of what works.
Options To Consider To When Shopping For Basketball Shoes
Option 1 – Actual Brand Stores
This is pretty much the most obvious option. There cannot be a better place to get the real stuff than at the original brand stores.
The biggest pro with brand stores is that you can be sure that whatever you are getting is original. So, if your major concerns are safety and the item condition, then brand stores are your best bet; they will always get it right.
Another pro with purchasing from brand stores is that new arrivals always appear there first. So, you can be sure to always get the latest shoes with the brand stores – except of course, if they get sold out before you know it (that very often happens).
Also, when it comes to the cost of the shoes, brand stores have very reasonable prices – although this might vary.
Most times, when some shoes become scarce or unavailable, third-party sellers tend to inflate the prices by a lot more.
Like everything with pros, purchasing from the brand stores also has a few cons.
The first is that you will not find older shoes on brand store sites. Hardly ever! Once new editions of kicks start showing up, they stop restocking old shoes.
So, if you are looking for shoes that are maybe two or three years old, you will not find those in brand stores.
Another con of shopping with brand stores is that most do not ship to your specific location. This, therefore, means that you will have to pick it up from a store close to you.
However, some brands offer free shipping for the shoes – but that depends on your location.
Some of the most popular brand stores are Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour.
Option 2 – Amazon
This is an online store that needs no introduction. They are pretty much the marketplace for anything, and its also a great place to get basketball shoes.
Amazon offers a lot of options when it comes to basketball shoes, and with pretty good customer service, too.
With amazon, the most interesing feature is shipping. There, you get one of the best shipping systems in the world.
Shipping with amazon is fast and reliable. So, you really don’t have to worry about not getting your package, or having a late arrival.
The downside to amazon, however, is that it might take a while for new arrivals to show up.
So, if you can wait till they have the new ones, then, amazon is a pretty great place to get your next kicks from.
And well, you could just go right ahead to check these Adidas kicks on Amazon already.
Click here to check this out and buy on Amazon.
Option 3 – Ebay
Ebay is another very big name when it comes to online shopping. Using ebay gives you access to thousands of retailers around the world. This simply means that you can now get many more options to choose from.
One pro with ebay is that they offer buyer protection services that help keep the retailers in check.
The cons, however, are that getting your basketball shoes from ebay might cost a lot more than the actual price.
This is because most retailers on ebay sell shoes that are on high demand and sold out. So, if you plan to buy from ebay, your budget will have to be at least 100 or 200 bucks more than normal price.
Another thing to note, is that ebay is known to have customer complaints with item safety. So, as a recommendation, we advise that you use consider it only as a last resort.
Other Options
The names listed above are the most popular names in online retail. Now, we’ll be moving to some other retailers who aren’t as popular.
Although these retailers offer a lot of selections at reasonable prices, the only issue might be with new releases.
Most of these stores might take a lot longer to get new products from brands.
Also, most of the retailers below do not offer international shipping. They can only deliver to locations in the US.
If you must buy from any of these from outside the US, then you can find a few third-party shipping companies that can assist with the delivery.
It just might cost a lot more, and these processes aren’t always secure. So, be extra careful if you are taking this option.
Finish Line
This is another great online sneakers retailer. They also offer a high variety, covering a large number of brands and designs including Adidas, Nike Air, and more.
This site offers free shipping (economy) for items above 30 bucks which could take 3 to 8 days for delivery.
However, if your location is outside the US, finish line will not deliver the shoes to your location. They do not offer international shipping options.
Foot Locker
Foot locker is an online retail store that has it all. From the Nike Air Jordan, to Air Forces, to many other sneakers and basketball shoes. They also offer attractive discounts for purchases above certain prices.
However, foot locker will only be enjoyed by buyers who reside in the US. They also do not offer delivery to locations outside of America.
Hibbett
Hibbett is another US-based retail store that offers both online and in-store services. They offer numerous discount offers and an interesting selection of shoes.
Unfortunately, they do not ship internationally.
For Those Staying Outside The US
Now, if you don’t think you can take the risk of involving third-party shipping companies, we have other options.
Below is a list of some European based stores that offer international shipping.
Sneak-A-Venue
This is a Slovakian-based store that offers about the same price listings as some of the other stores listed above. They also have a good variety of shoes on display, including the big names.
As mentioned above, they offer shipping internationally, but not worldwide. However, the cost and time of shipping is dependent on your location.
Sneak-a-venue only ships to specific countries outside the EU. Countries within the EU shipping might take about 2-7 business days max (depending on the destination).
While outside the EU would take about 2-15 business days max.
Fenom By Snkrs
Fenom is a France-based online store that came out of a brand called Snkrs.
The thing about this store is that the shoes they have are pretty expensive. So, if you are running with a tight budget then this store might not be the best option for you.
Anyway, this store also offers some massive discounts. So, you could still give it a try if you aren’t yet certain how much you’ll be spending.
Shipping internationally can be very expensive, too. However, free shipping is available for some countries within the European union.
Sneaker World Shop
This is another European store that offers international shipping. If you reside anywhere in Europe, then take a peak at this store.
They offer free shipping and returns to anywhere in Europe for purchases over 70 bucks.
If you stay outside the EU, delivery will cost you about 50 euros. However, for purchases above 500 euros, you get free shipping.
You can be sure to find a lot of the kicks in the big leagues in this store. From Nike, to Adidas, to Reebok, they’ve got it all.
Basket Mania
This is a UK-store that sells everything basketball related. If you will be purchasing from this store then budget to spend more than normal.
Most of the shoes in this store are pretty high end, therefore, quite expensive. So, if you have a very large budget, then this would be a great store to try out.
They also offer international shipping, however, this is restricted to European countries.
Shipping from this store internationally should take a maximum of 6-7 days. Shipping costs somewhere between 5 and 20 euros depending on your location.
Most of the options in this section are for those who aren’t in a hurry to get their shoes. Shipping with most of these stores might take as long as 30 days.
Note that some of these sites might take longer to deliver to locations outside Europe. Also, most of these stores do not offer free shipping.
Conclusion
With basketball shoes, there is no definite or certain place where you can get all that you want. It all depends on the factors that we listed at the beginning of this article.
Well, we are pretty sure you have carefully gone through the many options we provided here today and have been able to pick the best option for you. Happy shopping!
