Is StockX Legit? Here’s What We Discovered

Key Points

• StockX is a legitimate site for reselling designer goods, specializing in sneakers.
• They offer authentication services for all items and only sell deadstock shoes.
• In addition to sneakers, StockX also sells apparel, accessories, collectibles, and electronics.
• The company has a strong focus on verification and has stopped millions of dollars worth of fake sneakers from being sold.
• Customer reviews on Trustpilot are generally positive, while reviews on the Better Business Bureau are more mixed.

Sneaker aficionados have no shortage of options to turn to these days, from eBay to sites like GOAT, Grailed, and StockX. If you’re new to this niche, you may wonder — is StockX legit? The simple answer is a yes, although it’s not the type of site where you’ll want to jump in uninformed. With that in mind, we will tell you what to expect from StockX, whether you’re in the market for collectible kicks, clothing, or other collectibles.

What is StockX?

Founded in 2015, StockX is a site dedicated to reselling designer goods. The company sprang to life as a one-stop shop for sneakers and quickly expanded. While they have offices and authentication sites around the globe, the company essentially acts as a middleman between buyers and sellers.

What makes StockX unique is its authentication services, which launched well before eBay began offering authentication. Goods are shipped to the company by the seller for authentication, and they only take deadstock. That means you won’t receive a pair of used shoes, just new shoes that were unsold and never worn.

The shopping experience is also unique and lives up to the company’s namesake. You can check the price history of items or view recent sales data. The process is streamlined, and you can view the data from any items listed on their site.

The ability to track rare goods or resell them gives the platform an eBay-like feel but with far less clutter. StockX is a great way to pick up authentic classic kicks and rare ones. The company also provides consumers with options outside of the sneaker realm.

StockX Products        

StockX may have started off selling sneakers, but the company expanded into several different niches. Below is a brief breakdown of what to expect when browsing the company’s offerings, along with anything you need to know about authenticity and condition.

StockX Sneakers           

As mentioned above, if you buy a pair of shoes or sneakers on StockX, they are considered deadstock. It’s their golden rule, so there are no “used” shoes for sale on the site. By their definition, deadstock items are new and unworn with the original box, lid, and size label.

The company does have B-Grades on its site, however. This means the shoes and select other goods may have minor manufacturing defects. While still new, it’s something to be aware of if you want a mint set of kicks.

Some brands represented by StockX include Vans, ASICS, Reebok, Nike, Air Jordan, and Yeezy. Clarks, Dr. Martens, Balenciaga, Hermes, and Chanel are among the well-known casual shoe brands. All shoes sold are guaranteed to be authentic and new but could be missing laces or show box wear.

StockX Apparel

Are you interested in picking up a new shirt, dress, or coat to go with a new pair of shoes? You can do that on StockX, but don’t expect to find budget-friendly or midrange brands. There are slides and casual shoes that fall into that category, whereas the company’s selection of apparel is focused on luxury brands.

Whether you’re buying a KAWS t-shirt or a Burberry hoodie, there are more than a dozen big-name brands to choose from. As with shoes, all of these items are brand new and unworn. They must also include any accessories that were originally included with the apparel.

That’s key for limited edition items, although it’s not uncommon to find items available in multiple quantities. If there is an issue with a piece of clothing, the company will set things right with its Promise to Buyers.

StockX Accessories

StockX provides consumers with an extensive range of accessories from designer brands. Most fall into a few different categories, but you can expect to find belts, wallets, glasses, handbags, and more. That includes hats from Kith x NFL and brands like Nike or Louis Vuitton.

There are no “grades” on accessories sold through StockX, although all go through the company’s verification process. That means you may find slight imperfections on goods that may have been on display or show manufacturer imperfections.

That’s permitted with handbags, glasses, belts, hats, and wallets with a few stipulations. Wallets don’t require original boxes or tags, although it’s encouraged. That can make things tricky for listings without a box or tags, just like belts. 

StockX Collectibles

There are a variety of collectibles available on StockX. While they don’t have the sheer volume of items on eBay, everything is brand new and in excellent condition, according to the company’s policies. Anyone familiar with collectibles knows that may not necessarily be the case, however.

If you’re purchasing an art print, they do permit minor surface inconsistencies, although that’s not an issue with graded comics. The company only deals with CGC-certified comic books, while figures and other collectibles have different rules. Some fantastic KAWS pieces are available, and certain ones like KAWS Passing Through must be sold sealed.

Other figures are sold loose, which is where problems with paint jobs and factory blemishes come into play. It was a common issue with early Funko figures but can also be problematic with small designer vinyl runs. Another category to keep in mind with authentication on StockX is trading cards.

The site provides users with a great way to obtain rookie cards and rare cards from popular TCGs like Pokemon. There are graded cards across all the major sports, along with trading card games. You can also purchase boxes of cards through the site.

StockX Electronics

The electronics section has been an interesting addition to StockX. While consoles and high-end VR headsets are prevalent, so are special edition peripherals and odd items like multitools or the Yeezy Donda Stem Player.

All electronic goods sold on StockX are also in brand-new condition outside of a small selection of refurbished products. Currently, that consists of mainly Apple-certified factored refurbished tech and a handful of mobile devices from Samsung.

All items sold as pre-owned or refurbished have to meet specific criteria. They also come with warranties, which vary by vendor. The company only carries tech from vetted sellers authorized by the manufacturers.

StockX Verification Services

StockX’s services center around validation, something the company takes a lot of pride in. Their multi-step process ensures consumers get what they pay for as their team inspects every item from top to bottom.

All items are guaranteed to match their descriptions, and they utilize machine learning to help spot fakes. That works alongside their authenticators, which have inspected more than 35 million products since the company’s inception.

More than a million products pass through their verification services each month, and they’ve stopped more than 30 million dollars worth of fake sneakers from being unleashed into the wild. They strive to ensure everything is perfect but also provide buyers a way to receive a refund through the StockX Buyer Promise.

StockX Reviews

A great way to see if a business is trustworthy is through sites like Trustpilot and companies like the Better Business Bureau. A quick Google search on the company brings mixed results, but you can defer to those two sites to help cut down on the noise.

Trustpilot has more than 90,000 reviews for the site and a 4.1 rating which shows StockX is legit. That’s strong, and the company responded to 82% of their negative reviews. They take customer service seriously, and most complaints are related to shipping prices or other minor issues.

On the Better Business Bureau’s website, it’s an entirely different story. The business has a 1.3 rating out of 5 stars with more than 1,100 reviews. Most complaints here are related to customer service and late shipping. While there are some valid complaints, many were from those who did not understand the site and the service it provides.

Personal experiences from places like Reddit are also an excellent way to understand how StockX handles things. While you’ll find plenty of opinions, it’s important to keep the authors in mind, given the trollish nature of online reviews.

The Wrap-Up

If you’re interested in picking up designer duds for a deep discount or a box of Pokémon cards from the 90s, StockX is a great place to shop. It’s comparable to eBay in many ways, but buyers don’t need to worry about receiving fake or broken merchandise. Stock X is legit, despite a variety of consumer complaints through the BBB.

It’s also a site I’ve used personally to buy deadstock Nike Air VaporMax over the years, and I’ve never been disappointed. Just keep the condition in mind with collectibles and know your sizes before pulling the trigger on any premium footwear or clothing.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©T. Schneider/Shutterstock.com.