If you’re looking to make some extra cash, you often don’t have to look any further than your own bedroom closet.
How many pairs of shoes (or other types of clothing) do you have sitting in your closet that you no longer wear?
Exactly!
Instead of allowing your shoes to take up room, why not let them generate a little extra cash this month and complete someone else’s wardrobe at the same time?
Why You Should Sell Your “Old” Shoes
Why should you think about selling those unused pairs of shoes in your closet?
First off, selling your old shoes is a great way to declutter and give your closets some breathing space. There’s something about decluttering that clears the cobwebs and clutter out of your mind as well. I don’t know about you, but often I look inside my closet and wonder if anyone else’s closet looks like mine…oops.
Second, you’ll give those unused shoes new life. Whether it’s that pair of Pradas you got at a super duper discount and simply never wore, or a former pair of favorite shoes that just no longer fits your style, selling them can give your shoes a new purpose and get them moving again.
Third, CASH. Who doesn’t want more cash? Got a vacation you want to go on? Some bills you want to pay? Some debt you want to kick to the curb? I’m sure you can find something to do with a few extra greenbacks in your hand, right?
Sell those shoes and make a multi-beneficial task something worth raving about. Here are some of the more popular websites for selling shoes for cash.
Sell Your Shoes On Your Own
After researching dozens of sites, the places listed below were our favorite picks when it comes to selling your shoes for cash on your own.
1. eBay
Although eBay does charge listing and selling fees, it’s still one of the most popular venues for selling new and used shoes and other types of clothing.
Remember when you decide on your listing price, you must take shipping costs as well as eBay listing and selling fees into consideration.
You also will want to make sure to gain enough of a profit to cover what you’re going to pay to sell them, including your time and materials for boxing up and shipping them out.
- What we like: huge audience worldwide to sell your shoes to
- What we don’t like: listing and seller fees
2. Poshmark
Poshmark has a free app that makes it super easy to list and sell your shoes and other items. In fact, the site says it only takes 30 seconds to list your items for sale!
Once you sell your shoes on Poshmark, they will send you a prepaid shipping label to use to ship the shoes, and you can then box them up and drop off at a USPS location or have your postal worker pick the box up if they allow that in your area.
How much does it cost to sell on Poshmark?
For all sales under $15, they take a flat rate fee of $2.95. For any listings $15 or higher, you’ll pay a 20% commission and keep 80% of the sales price for yourself.
After the item is received by the buyer, you can request payment via direct deposit to your bank account, or Poshmark will send you a check.
- What we like: You can have your shoes for sale in 30 seconds or less
- What we don’t like: 20% commission on anything over $15
3. Tradesy
Tradesy works similar to Poshmark. According to their website, you can list your item in 60 seconds or less with their free app, and then simply wait for it to sell.
After your shoes sell, you send them off in the Tradesy prepaid shipping package (box and all) to your buyer.
Tradesy’s commission on the shoes or other items you sell is a flat fee of $7.50 on all sales less than $50, and on items that sell for $50 or more they’ll take a commission rate of 19.8%.
You can get the money from the sale of your shoes via Paypal, an ACH transfer or a pre-paid debit card.
- What we like: Lower commissions on higher priced items than Poshmark
- What we don’t like: The 19.8% is still higher than we like
4. Grailed
Grailed specializes in selling high-end name brand men’s shoes and other types of men’s clothing. You can sell new shoes there as well as used, as long as the shoes are in excellent condition.
You simply list the shoes or other clothing items on their site, and wait for the offers to come in. You can even accept multiple offers as well. Whoever pays you first is the winner. Shipping costs are included in all offers, so it’s important to be aware of that when you list.
After you sell, you’ll pay a commission of 6% plus applicable PayPal costs to Grailed, and you get to keep the rest. Payments are paid out via PayPal.
- What we like: Best place to sell high-end name brand shoes for men only
- What we don’t like: Must have PayPal account to get paid
5. Heroine
Heroine is the female equivalent of Grailed, specializing in helping you sell high-end name brand womens shoes and clothing.
Heroine works pretty much the same as Grailed as far as commissions and sales goes.
Note: With both Heroine and Grailed you have to sign up to become a member of their communities before you buy or sell on these sites.
- What we like: Best place to sell high-end name brand shoes for women only
- What we don’t like: You must be a member of their site to sell
6. BuyMYHeels
BuyMYHeels is for buying and selling designer shoes to and from people all over the world. There is no commission to sell on this site, but they do charge a listing fee of £5 which is equivalent to $7 USD.
They also have a strict rule on this site that no replicas or shoes that you aren’t certain are a particular name brand can be sold.
- What we like: They have a strict policy to not allow counterfeit name brand shoes
- What we don’t like: Listing fees aren’t terrible, but they are still there
7. Kixify
Kixify is a site that allows you to sell both new and pre-owned sneakers and other shoes. You have to set up a store in order to sell on Kixify, but the store set-up is completely free.
There are no listing fees when using Kixify, but you will pay an 8% commission when you sell your shoes.
Kixify collects the money from your sale via PayPal instant billing and takes their cut right off the top. You as the store owner set your own shipping and return policies.
- What we like: Best place to sell sneakers for both men and women
- What we don’t like: You must have PayPal to receive money
8. ASOS Marketplace
ASOS Marketplace allows you to open a boutique to sell your vintage shoes and other items. This site is best for those who have a lot of items to sell – the minimum you can sell if you want to open a boutique is 15 items at any given time.
Drop ship businesses don’t qualify – you need to own the shoes and other items directly in order to sell them.
- What we like: You can sell vintage shoes and other items on this site
- What we don’t like: You must have 15 items to sell to get started
9. Depop
Depop allows you to sell your shoes on their marketplace website. Used shoes must be washed and cleaned and in good condition.
When you sell your shoes on Depop, they’ll typically take a 10% commission (although in some cases they’ll charge more), and you’ll get your money sent via PayPal.
With Depop you are responsible for shipping your shoes to the buyer and for dealing with refunds and any buyer issues.
- What we like: Very reasonable commissions at only 10%
- What we don’t like: You are responsible for all shipping logistics, costs and refunds
10. Craigslist
Craigslist is a great site for selling just about anything, including shoes. You can sell your used or new (and never worn) shoes, and you’ll never pay any listing or selling fees.
Related Post: The Best 27 Websites Likes Craigslist to Buy and Sell Stuff
Be sure to take great pictures when selling on Craigslist. Also, a great description of your items helps too.
Be prepared to have to meet your buyer in person (a public place is best) or to ship the items if they’re willing to pay ahead of time via PayPal.
Use other safety practices as well such as not accepting personal checks, and letting a loved one know where you’re going and when you’ll be back.
- What we like: Everyone knows what Craigslist is
- What we don’t like: Meeting buyers in person can be sketchy
11. Letgo
Like Craigslist, Letgo is a great place for selling shoes locally, and it’s fast becoming one of my favorite sites to go to when looking for gently used items.
Why?
Well, the site is attractive, easy to use and well organized. Like Craigslist, you won’t pay any listing or selling fees.
Use the same safety precautions with Letgo that you would with Craigslist, such as meeting in a public place and accepting only cash for your shoes, or an acceptable trade-in that you’ve pre-arranged ahead of time.
- What we like: Very well known across your community
- What we don’t like: Meeting buyers in person has risks
12. Varage Sale
Varage Sale is an “online garage sale” that allows you to sell your shoes and other items locally.
Varage Sale is operational in all 50 United States (and in Canada) and is different in that it has some security features in place that sites such as Craigslist and Letgo don’t have.
First, you have to sign up to become a member and have your identity verified and approved via your Facebook account.
Once you’re an approved member you can sell your shoes and other items, however only other approved members will be able to buy your stuff.
This member requirement and verification is an effort on the part of mom/founder Tami, who wanted to create a safer space for people who felt hesitant to buy and sell on sites with no security measures in place.
Varage Sale doesn’t charge any listing or selling fees – it’s completely free to use. All fees, meetups, etc. are negotiated between buyers and sellers.
So, in essence it’s a lot like Craigslist and similar sites, however the membership requirement and verification make it a bit safer to use, which is nice.
- What we like: The member verification process creates a safer selling experience
- What we don’t like: Meeting buyers in person has it’s risks
13. 5Miles
5Miles is a free site for buying and selling as well and they’ve got a great free app you can download to help make buying and selling shoes and other stuff easier.
This site works to make buying and selling safer by allowing people to put user reviews on the site, and they have Facebook and phone verification options for buyers and sellers so you can be more confident you’re not dealing with a scammer.
5Miles is operational in many cities across the United States and is has over 10 million users.
Fun Fact: Started in Dallas, Texas, 5Miles is now called “the official marketplace app of the Dallas Mavericks.”
- What we like: Growing fast and they have an app
- What we don’t like: May not be in every city yet
14. The Real Real
The Real Real is a consignment shop allowing you to list your shoes for consignment with them. You can either bring your shoes into a store location for assessment or ship them with a free, prepaid shipping label.
You also have an option to schedule an in-home pickup in some cases. The Real Real only accepts designer shoes and has a designer list detailing what brands of shoes and other items they’ll accept.
You’ll generally earn a commission of 50-55% when you list with these guys. When your shoes sell, you can get paid via direct deposit, they’ll mail you a check, or if you’d like you can get store credit and earn an extra 5% percent.
- What we like: Best place to sell name brand designer shoes
- What we don’t like: Some of the highest fees we found
15. Snob Swap
Snob Swap is a site that helps you sell your designer shoes either online or in-store. You can sell shoes of a variety of different name brand designers, as long as they’re in great shape.
With Snob Swap you can drop the shoes off at a consignment store near you, sell online via consignment, or even trade your shoes for items that other members own.
For commission prices and other info, you can use the “contact” page on Snob Swap.
- What we like: Another great place to sell name brand designer shoes
- What we don’t like: They don’t advertise their commission rates on their site
16. Vinted
Vinted is a site that allows you to sell your new or gently used shoes or other items. Vinted works differently in that sellers don’t pay a fee. Instead, buyers pay a 5% service fee plus a $0.70 fixed fee.
Buyers also pay for shipping. Payment to sellers can be made via PayPal or via a major credit card. Payments are made directly to Vinted, and your money is available in your Vinted wallet after the payment is cleared.
When you want to get paid, you just go to your Vinted Wallet and select “Payout”, and your money will be transferred directly to your checking or savings account within a few business days.
- What we like: Sellers don’t pay any fees
- What we don’t like: Since buyers have to pay, this will limit your buyer pool
17. Dealo
Dealo has an app for both Apple and Android users that allows you to buy and sell stuff for free. Most sellers sell locally, but they do have some verified shipping options that allow you to ship to non-local buyers.
Dealo doesn’t seem to be as widely used as some of the other apps and sites – yet – but it does appear to be expanding steadily.
- What we like: You can buy and sell for free
- What we don’t like: Not widely known yet
18. Facebook Marketplace
Facebook is often a great place for you to sell shoes and other items. You can use the Facebook Marketplace and advertise your shoes within a buy/sell group in your area, or you can simply offer them for sale on your timeline.
Note: Facebook frowns upon using your personal account for commercial gain, though, so if you’re selling a product you design on a regular basis you could be shut down if you’re doing it via your personal page and not via the Facebook Marketplace.
Facebook Marketplace doesn’t have any listing or selling fees – it’s totally free.
- What we like: It’s free and everyone knows about Facebook
- What we don’t like: Meeting buyers in person has it’s risks
19. OfferUp
OfferUp is currently operational in many major U.S. cities. The goal of OfferUp is to create a community-based feel for buying and selling your shoes and other stuff.
The OfferUp app for Android and Apple is a top-rated app for helping you buy and sell stuff quickly. It’s also free (woohoo!).
Price negotiation and meet up details between buyers and sellers are done via the app. User profiles (required to use the app) help you to check out ratings and transaction histories of users you’re communicating with, which is a nice security feature.
Posting your shoes for sale takes less than 30 seconds when you use the app, and there’s no listing or selling fees.
- What we like: Free to sell and is as much of a community as a place to sell your shoes
- What we don’t like: Meeting buyers in person has it’s risks
20. Mercari
Mercari is a marketplace for selling your personal items. In order to help create a safe transaction, Mercari provides traceable shipping labels for all sales.
You can also choose to plan your own shipping, but it has to be a traceable shipping source. The company charges a 10% flat fee once your item sells.
After your item sells and the buyer has received it and paid, both you as the seller and the buyer need to rate the transaction. When both parties have rated the transaction, the money will show up in your Mercari account balance.
You can then request a transfer of the money to your bank account via direct deposit. Note that Mercari will charge you a $2 transfer fee for any direct deposit requests under $10.
- What we like: They enforce a policy to have all shipments tracked for buyers
- What we don’t like: You don’t get paid until both parties have rated the transaction
21. iOffer
iOffer is an online marketplace for selling new and used shoes and other stuff. There are no listing fees with iOffer, and it’s free to open a store.
However, you will pay a commission fee of roughly between 8.5-10% once your item sells. You can also pay for “premium” listing fees in order to boost views.
As the seller, you are responsible for setting up shipping methods and payment methods.
- What we like: Fees are lower than most
- What we don’t like: You are responsible for all shipping transactions
22. Shpock
Shpock is another free site where you can sell shoes and other stuff like you do on Craigslist and similar sites. You can use their free app for Apple and Android, and list your shoes in a matter of seconds.
Shpock calls their app a “boot sale” app, which basically refers to a term for people who meet up to buy and sell stuff out of the trunk of a car. Yes, the term sounds shady, but it’s meant to be cute. 🙂
The app gets pretty high ratings for both Apple and Android. Use the typical safety precautions when dealing with sellers as far as meeting up and accepting payment, etc.
- What we like: Free to sell shoes and other items
- What we don’t like: Meeting buyers in person has it’s risks
23. Bonanza
Bonanza allows you to sell new or pre-owned shoes on their site. When you sell on Bonanza, you pay a 3.5% “base fee”.
If you opt into their advertising program, your item gets more exposure, but you will also pay an additional fee of between 9% and 30% – depending on which program option you choose.
There are no listing fees with Bonanza. As I browsed the site, it seemed as if most sellers there focused on selling name-brand shoes.
- What we like: Very low fees for the basic plan
- What we don’t like: Up to 30% fees for premium plan
Sell Your Shoes Directly to a Company or Store
If you would prefer to sell your shoes (or any clothing items for that matter) straight to the store, we did the research and found the top places we recommend first. Below is a list of our favorite and trusted sites.
24. ThredUP
ThredUP is an online consignment store of sorts.
Here’s how it works: you send your shoes to ThredUP in a “Clean Out” bag that allows you to ship your items for free. Once they receive your shoes, you’ll get paid for them (up to 80% of retail on each item).
The money you earn (whether it be an immediate payout or consignment payout) can be given to you via PayPal, you can turn it into ThredUP store credit, or you can even have ThredUP donate it to charity.
Items they don’t want to sell will be donated to charity. You can also ask to have unwanted items back, but you’ll have to pay a $12.99 return shipping fee to get your items back. Note that ThredUP usually only accepts items in excellent condition.
Note: some items aren’t eligible for immediate payout and will be placed on consignment, where you’ll get paid after they sell.
- What we like: They make the transaction simple with the “Clean Out” bag
- What we don’t like: Up to a 20% commission
25. Swap.com
Swap.com is an online consignment store that allows you to sell your shoes and other items. Here’s how it works:
- You print out a prepaid shipping label and send your shoes to Swap.com
- They let you know which items were accepted (they want stuff in great condition), they price the items and list them for sale on the site
- After your shoes sell, Swap.com sends you money
Swap.com takes a commision of varying amounts depending on what they sell your item for. See the FAQs on their website for more details on commission amounts.
If you are looking to get cash for selling your shoes and get it quickly, you may want to go another route.
Note: their website says it does take a rather long time to process the items you send – between 30 and 60 days.
- What we like: They have a very large following and buyer pool
- What we don’t like: It takes a long time to get paid (30-60 days)
26. Material World
Material World works similarly to ThredUP. You send in your items with the free trade-in kit they provide.
They assess your items and give you a value for the total of the items. If you don’t like the prices they’re offering, you can chose to reject the offer and have the items shipped back.
If you do accept the offer, they’ll send you your cash via PayPal (they’ll charge a 3% fee for choosing PayPal), or they’ll give you store credit to shop and buy stuff at Material World.
They also only accept a limited number of brands. You can find out more about which brands they accept if you visit their website.
Note: Material World only wants shoes and other items that are less than five years old and in excellent condition.
- What we like: You can reject any offers they send you
- What we don’t like: Your shoes need to be in top quality condition to sell here
27. Uptown Cheapskate
Uptown Cheapskate is a thrift store that will buy your shoes from you and then re-sell them in their store. They’ll pay you cash on the spot as soon as they assess your items.
You can also choose to get store credit if you’d like. Uptown Cheapskate has locations throughout the United States, mostly located in the Southern half of the United States.
- What we like: Very quick process to get paid
- What we don’t like: Not located everywhere yet
28. Buffalo Exchange
Buffalo Exchange, like Uptown Cheapskate, sells recycled fashions on a thrift store type of a basis.
You can bring your new or used shoes into a store location (they have locations throughout the United States) and they’ll assess your items and pay you cash on the spot.
Or, you can choose store credit, earn a little bit extra and do some shopping at the store. They take a wide variety of items at the store, including shoes, but they do state on their website that they want items in excellent condition.
- What we like: Very well known across your country
- What we don’t like: You have to take your shoes to the store in person
Design and Sell Shoes as a Business
More and more people are taking their design skills to the shoe market. If you have designed shoes for a friends wedding, a family reunion, or you really just enjoy designing in general, here are our favorite sites to sell your shoe creations.
29. Store Envy
Store Envy is a site that caters to indie (independent) designers and online business owners. If you like to design shoes (for instance, designing tennis shoes for brides and grooms) this could be a great site to use to sell those shoes.
Store Envy has a couple of options for those wanting to open a store on their site:
- The “Free Custom Store” that doesn’t charge anything except for transaction fees
- The “Marketplace” in which they keep 10% of your sales
The site isn’t clear about what the difference is between the two store types or which store type is best for which type of seller; you’ve got to sign in to get that information.
Also, there are no monthly fees or listing fees with either store type, which is a nice bonus.
- What we like: Very low fees as compared to most other sites
- What we don’t like: You have to become a member of Store Envy to get full transparency
30. Etsy
Probably one of the most famous places for designing your own shoes and other stuff and selling them, Etsy has been around since 2005.
Selling on Etsy is fairly simple: It costs $0.20 to list an item on Etsy, and a listing lasts for four months. After the item sells, you pay a 3.5%transaction fee, plus a $0.25 payment processing fee.
You are responsible for shipping the shoes you sell, and the payment from your sales goes directly into your bank account.
You can also choose what types of payments you’ll receive, such as credit and debit cards, PayPal, and Etsy gift cards.
- What we like: Very well known across the world
- What we don’t like: You are all on your own for shipment
31. Zazzle
Zazzle helps custom designers sell their custom designed shoes sort of like Etsy does. The site boasts over 30 million customers each month.
Zazzle has a variety of options to help sellers sell their specialized shoes and other stuff. There are no listing or selling fees with any of the store options you choose, however you will pay a commission fee for each sale.
Commission fees are based on the type of store you set up and on how you price your item.
- What we like: They are huge with over 30 million users each month
- What we don’t like: Commision fees aren’t as transparent as other sites
32. Smart Bride Boutique
Smart Bride Boutique sells new and pre-owned wedding dresses, shoes and accessories. Whether you have a pair of wedding shoes you wore yourself, or you are a custom designer of wedding shoes, you could use this site to sell them.
To sell on this site you can either sell as a former bride, or as a retailer. Retailers pay no selling commissions, however there is a monthly store fee you’ll pay. You choose which type of store you’ll have, and that will determine the monthly fee.
Selling as an individual is free, however you can opt in for advertising options that will cost you a fee depending on which option you choose.
- What we like: Great place to sell wedding-specific shoes and clothing
- What we don’t like: You have to pay extra for advertising, which may be necessary
Tips for Getting the Most Money When You Sell Shoes
Want to get the most money for selling your shoes? Here are some of the secrets we have gathered from those who are selling their shoes on a regular basis.
Consider the Condition (Don’t Sell Crap)
If you’re selling used shoes, make sure they’re cleaned up, polished if necessary and in great condition. Tennis shoes can often be thrown in the washing machine and air dried for a good cleaning, while dress shoes can often be polished.
If your shoes aren’t in great shape, consider donating them instead.
Price It Right (Or it Won’t Sell)
As you choose a price for the shoes you sell, be sure to be objective. Try to consider what you would pay for the shoes if you were the buyer.
The more competitive your price, the more interested buyers you’ll have.
When Selling New Shoes
When you’re selling new shoes, sellers like it better if you have the box they came in. Some people store all of their shoes in the original box. It helps to keep your closet organized, and it’s great for when it’s time to sell.
You might be selling new shoes you bought and simply never wore, or you might be able to start a side hustle on buying designer shoes at rock bottom prices and then reselling them for a profit.
If you’re going that route, be sure to choose shoes that aren’t too flashy or out of the ordinary, or you may have a tough time reselling them.
When Selling Your Own Shoe Designs
If you’re designing your own shoes and selling them, consider the marketplace you want to cater to: are you looking to attract brides who want dressed up tennis shoes for comfort on their wedding day?
Are you looking to create custom sneakers for everyday wear? As you design your shoes for sale, choose designs that will appeal to a broad audience and have the appeal of comfort and style: something different but not too outrageous.
You should also check out other peoples’ stores on sites like Etsy and Zazzle for ideas.
Selling shoes for cash can be a profitable business. Whether you’re cleaning out and selling your personally owned shoe stash, or starting a business selling custom-designed shoes, you can make some serious extra cash by using sites like the ones mentioned here.
Have you ever sold shoes for cash? Have you ever bought shoes online? Share your experience in the comments below and tell us what is working best for you right now.