Ebay to open sneaker swap shop in London

Online marketplace Ebay has announced it is opening a first-of-its-kind pop-up in London where people can swap sneakers they don’t wear for a pair they will.

The Swap ‘Em Out Store will be located at 59 Greek Street and will be open for a limited time only on March 25. The pop-up will be a ticketed event and will allow sneakerheads to exchange their sneakers, worth more than 100 pounds, free of charge for a more coveted pair.

The pop-up, which Ebay states is tapping into “a behaviour intrinsic to the sneaker community – swapping,” will offer the opportunity for people to bring in their pre-loved and unworn sneakers and exchange them for shoes up to triple their value. With all attendees able to trade in for a pair of sneakers worth at least 100 pounds but no more than 300 pounds, adds Ebay.

In addition, several lucky attendees will also have their brought-in sneakers swapped for a “Top Swap,” featuring rare and hyped silhouettes of high value such as the Nike x Off White Jordan 1 ‘Euro’ worth approximately 4,300 pounds and the Nike Jordan 4 Kaws worth around 2,400 pounds.

Ebay tapping into sneaker-swapping culture with one-day pop-up

Wahaaj Shabbir, sneaker category manager at Ebay UK, said in a statement: “Swapping has always been intrinsic to us sneakerheads. In these tough times, where the cost-of-living is making it harder to buy your next pair, we wanted to offer a solution which feels right to the community.

“We’re all about getting sneakers back on feet and hope that by encouraging people to swap and sell, we’ll keep sneakers flowing to people who truly love them. By opening The Swap ‘Em Out Store, people will be able to bring in those sneakers that don’t get enough love anymore, and we’ll swap them for a pair they’ll wear.”

All shoes traded in must be a name brand shoe, no retail brands such as Office branded shoes, adds Ebay. Approved brands include Yeezy, Jordan, Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Asics, Vans, Reebok, Converse, Puma, Gucci, Prada, Maison Margiela, Louis Vuitton, Crocs, Off-White, Y-3, A bathing ape, Versace, Golden Goose, Alexander McQueen, Alexander Wang, Rhude, Christian Louboutin, Dolce & Gabbana, Fendi, Burberry, Valentino, Buscemi, Giuseppe Zanotti, Givenchy, MCM, Salomon, On Running, Hoka, and Balenciaga.

As well as swapping sneakers, other in-store features will include a sneaker cleaning service provided by Sneakers ER, an authentication hub - where sneakers will be checked by expert authenticators, a live DJ set, a bar and a polaroid photo wall.

The sneakers brought in and swapped at the pop-up will be authenticated by Ebay and cleaned before being uploaded to a Swap ‘Em Out onsite edit on the marketplace. All funds raised from this online Swap Em Out edit will support the DEC Turkey and Syria Earthquake Appeal.