How to Use Datacenter Proxies for Sneakers: Follow Our Best Recommendations
Gleb Lepeshkin
Gleb Lepeshkin Published: 2022/09/13

In the world of hunting for rare footwear on the Web a lot of sneakerheads are looking for the best companions in copping the most desired sneakers. And with the current offerings from the proxy providers, you must be thinking about getting the ultimate proxies to get ahead of the crowd. 

In most cases until recently such a solution was revolving around residential proxies. You could use such proxies in buying sneakers online with bots and customized scripts. Yes, they are slower and more expensive than datacenter proxies but with the current anti-bot systems that sites like Adidas and Yeezy Supply feature, they look like your obvious choice. 

So, does that mean that the game is over for the datacenter proxies in the world of sneakers? Not really! In this article we will explain how to use proxies for sneakers by fully engaging the advantages of such IPs. You will also learn about the alternatives for DC proxies on some of the websites with sophisticated anti-bot systems. We will compare datacenter proxies vs residential IPs and much more.

What is a Datacenter Proxy for Sneakers? 

Before we delve into describing the benefits of using datacenter proxies for copping sneakers, we would like to remind you about the technical specifics of such proxies. 

As the name suggests a datacenter proxy is originally provided by a hosting company (or a datacenter), unlike a residential proxy where you basically borrow an IP from a physical user from an ISP (Internet Service Provider). 

As any other proxy, a datacenter proxy serves for masking your original IP while you connect to a target website to provide you with anonymous access. And since such servers are hosted by data centers, they can operate at rather high speeds. 

The downside here, as you may guess, is the level of anonymity, which can be compromised by the IP. If a target website has an anti-bot system, it can detect IPs of data centers thus making the whole operation powered by datacenter proxies useless. 

Now that we considered some of the risks, let’s talk about the benefits of DC proxies for sneakers.  

How to Use Datacenter Proxies for Sneakers: Follow Our Best Recommendations

Benefits of Using Datacenter Proxies for Sneakers

  1. Speed and performance. The first major benefit of datacenter proxies for sneakers copping is their high speed and performance. It originates from the data centers hosting such proxies.
  2. Wide pools and unlimited traffic. The second benefit is relative abundance and unlimited traffic on some of the plans. With DC proxies you can forget about running out of traffic during an important drop. This alone makes sneakers copping with datacenter proxies a walk in the park in some cases. 
  3. Low prices. And last but not least, these proxies are very affordable. After all buying your collectible sneakers for resale it’s just business, so you want to have the maximum return on your investments. With cheap datacenter IPs you will be able to generate more cash on every dollar you put into proxies. 

Things to Remember While Using DC Proxies for Sneakers 

DC proxies appear to be a clear choice for sneaker copping. You get high performing IPs for a fraction of the price of residential IPs. So why is that they are not widely used for copping and can you get datacenter proxies for sneaker bots that will actually do their job?   

  1. The origin of IPs. As we mentioned before, the DC proxies are hosted by data centers and their IPs are easily identified as such by the sneakers sites. And since regular people do not normally use such IPs for buying footwear online, your request can be questioned and eventually banned.
  2. Similar IPs. If a sneakers site detects any overlapping subnets during the drop, the activities of all the buyers will be flagged. This was the main reason for serious sneakerheads to start using residential private proxies in bots to automate the process of copping.
  3. Lotteries. Today major sneaker sites replaced the original First-Come-First-Serve mode of distribution with a lottery based one, also known as the raffle. All of that was done in response to the ubiquitous use of automated trading with proxies in order to instill fair trade in the business. In this particular use case having a datacenter proxy will not help you in any way. You are definitely more likely to succeed with a reliable yet cheap residential proxy that will mask you as a regular visitor.

But considering all of these risks, using datacenter proxies for sneakers can still be justified. Read on to find out the best practices of using DC proxies for copping rare footwear. These are some tips related to datacenter proxies sneakers hunters would really appreciate. Also, if you feel like learning more about the copping industry, use this glossary to find out the meaning of some sneakerhead terms that may sound unfamiliar at first. 

Datacenter Proxies for Sneakers Best Practices 

  1. Use the speed of DC proxies. Copping on some very technically savvy sites like Yeezy Supply and Adidas with bots powered with DC proxies can be a waste of time. You will be easily detected and banned. So, use residential proxies on such sites instead. However, there are some platforms where you will be able to put the main advantage of DC proxies to work: their speed. You can do some preliminary research on some Shopify sites and deploy DC proxies there with maximum efficiency. 
  2. Solving Google CAPTCHA. You can use datacenter proxies inside your bot for solving Google Captcha. It is required to ensure a different IP for each of Google accounts that will be used during the drop for solving Captcha. 
  3. Proxies for monitoring. DC proxies can be ideal for monitoring restocks – the footwear that will be put back into the warehouse after certain orders get canceled. It’s also a great practice to check out the drop schedule using DC proxies when the drop’s date is yet to be defined. 

Residential vs Datacenter Proxies for Sneakers

So, if a DC proxy is not your best choice for sneakers in most cases, what is the common type of proxy used for copping? Well, there are two major alternatives in the world of proxies that will help you with this kind of missions:

  1. Residential proxies. With residential proxies (or ISP proxies) for sneakers you will be using IPs of real people, thus, appearing as absolutely legit buyers to the anti-bot systems guarding some of the most popular sneaker sites. The risk here is minimized through using subnets that would be rarely used by other buyers participating in the drop alongside you. Also, with residential proxies you can pinpoint your mission area right next to the physical location of the sneaker site’s servers. This will also ensure higher chances of timely bidding on such an e-store.  This type of proxy is also very familiar to gamers. For instance, you can use Runescape proxies for accessing the game servers remotely.  
  2. ISP proxies. These proxies are registered with ISPs (Internet Service Providers) but hosted at data centers. So, think about them as advanced versions of DC proxies. These IPs normally do the job of residential proxies, while demonstrating high speeds of pure datacenter proxies.

Of course, you want to be on the safe side while you cop in bulk with your bots, therefore we recommend you to buy sneaker proxies that will do the job. You can have residential and ISP proxies in your reserve as well as some datacenter IPs for solving Captchas or for sneaker site monitoring. This will make your copping practice absolutely unbeatable. Also, if you are not sure about the qualities of the proxies you have in your pool, read this article on how to test proxies in your arsenal. 

Consider PrivateProxy as Your Trusted Partner

Over the years of successful proxy-powered missions of our customers we collected tons of valuable insights to ensure that your particular online operation is a victory. Every time you use our proxies for copping sneakers, you can totally rely on our seasoned tech support and account managers that will always be there for you should you have any concerns related to using our IPs. We will carefully pick the right sneaker proxies before you even engage into copping and make sure they will do the job during the drop. 

We believe in win-win cooperation with our customers and take the product satisfaction issues seriously. Everything to make sure you will be happy to come back to us for more highly performing proxies.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Please read our Documentation if you have questions that are not listed below.

  • What is a datacenter proxy for sneakers?

    A datacenter proxy for sneakers is a proxy server hosted at a data center, which is used for copping sneakers online. Normally such proxies are used on e-stores without heavy-duty anti-bot systems (like Shopify) or for monitoring drops. Click on the article link to find out more cases of using datacenter proxies for shopping for rare sneakers.

  • What is the key difference between Residential vs Datacenter proxies for sneakers?

    A datacenter proxy is hosted by a data center (a hosting company) and can be a very fast proxy. However, residential proxies can be more robust in withstanding the internal protection systems on some of the sneakers sites. So, in order to be prepared for all possible outcomes while copping sneakers, you should have both types of proxies in your arsenal. To find out more about these proxies and also ISP proxies, follow the link to the article on the subject.

  • What other proxies should I use if my datacenter proxies fail?

    Clear alternatives for datacenter proxies for sneakers are residential and ISP proxies for the same purpose. If a website that you are targeting is equipped with a sophisticated anti-bot system capable of detecting DC proxies, you can use residential proxies to mask your IP and appear as a regular user to the system. This should do the job. Read the article on our blog to learn more tricks and tips on using sneaker proxies.

  • Is it safe for me to buy all of my datacenter proxies for sneakers from one provider?

    Once you have built up a long-term successful cooperation with your current proxy provider, you can definitely move all your proxy-related business to them. You can negotiate better terms for exclusivity as a bonus. Visit our site to find out what offers we have for bulk proxy orders.

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