Choosing the right proxy is a big thing for sneakerheads, especially when you are copping Nikes. Their anti-bot defenses are so notoriously strict you cannot succeed without specialized proxies. 

To make things easier, we will cover how to choose the best Nike proxies – from the correct type to the protocol and provider.

Sneaker proxies

Don’t buy the first proxies you find for copping Nikes. Look for ones that are guaranteed to work with the site. Such are sneaker proxies – tested by providers and intended for purchasing large amounts of sneakers. While ordinary ones will also allow you to change your IP address and be anonymous, sneaker proxies aim for a higher standard.

• Ban free IPs – all sneaker proxies are tested to work with sneaker vendors.
• Locations – sneaker proxies have a wide choice of areas. They are  also specifically selected to maximize performance.
• Speed – copping requires the fastest connection, which sneaker proxies can deliver. You risk missing drops with other proxies.

All these aspects can be fine-tuned specifically for one vendor, such as Nike. Nike proxies are often tested to be ban free, have all the relevant locations, and maximize speed for copping these specific sneakers. But the choice doesn’t end here as you still need to decide on the type.

Choosing the best type

Nike proxies, like all other sneaker proxies, come in three main variations – datacenter, residential or ISP. While there are some debates about the best type for other vendors, for Nike there is a clear choice – residential proxies.

Residential IP addresses are verified by internet service providers (ISPs) and hosted on household devices. It allows your sneaker bot to appear as a regular user and avoid early suspicion. Additionally, residential proxies have the most accurate location targeting capabilities.

Datacenter IP addresses are frequently banned by Nike because they are created in bulk and unaffiliated with ISPs. Static residential proxies will give you some results and can be faster than residential ones, however, you will take unnecessary risks since these proxies, though verified by ISPs, are still based in data centers.

Selecting a supported proxy protocol

All sneaker bots have integration with proxies and you will just need to enter the credentials: IP address, port, username and password. While it should be clear that the best type for copping Nikes is residential, you still need to account for one additional factor – the proxy protocol.

Protocols are rules by which devices receive and send data between one another. The protocol that your bot supports depends on how the developers design the software. However, it doesn’t make a huge impact on the success of your copping from the users’ perspective.

Therefore, there is no need to look for a bot with a particular protocol. A better idea is to choose a sneaker bot that can cop shoes from Nike first, such as the NSB bot, and then look for a Nike proxy that will work along with it.

There are two main types of proxy protocols that sneaker bots support. Most bots support HTTP (HyperText Transfer Protocol) protocol because it is the standard way of exchanging data over the internet. Your browser loaded the text on this page using the HTTP protocol.

However, some sneaker bots are designed to use SOCKS protocol (standing for SOCKet Secure) instead. It is made for tasks that require transferring a lot of data, such as streaming video or sending large files. 

The end result is the same with both protocols, but a bot supporting one protocol might not be able to connect a proxy with a different one. For example, our mentioned NSB bot supports HTTP, so be sure to buy such proxies. If you are in doubt, contact the bot developers and ask.

Choosing the provider

Last but not least, you should know what is a good provider. Although there are many who label their sneaker proxies as meant for a specific brand, such as Nike proxies, only specialized ones have the testing capabilities to be worthy of such titles.

Often providers just re-label their ordinary proxies, sometimes even banned on other sites, and sell them to customers as sneaker proxies. A great sign of credibility is proxy checker software that can check the proxy’s speed and also whether the IP is ban-free on your needed website.

Such software not only means the provider himself tests the proxies before selling them to you, but that they are transparent, meaning you can check the proxies yourself. Usually, only specialized sneaker proxy providers have such features.

Location choice is crucial for Nike proxies. The list of countries Nike supports for shipping is quite extensive, but still limited. Most available locations are in Europe, North America, and Asia. So, look for a Nike proxy with these locations.

Furthermore, Nike proxies need to have global coverage of such locations. If you only have a few to select from, you will be limited to sneaker drops in those locations. The more of them your proxies have, the more drops you can target.

The IP address pool should be in the millions, at least! It might seem like a lot, but you will need many IPs and so will thousands of other users. The numbers stack up quickly and if the provider doesn’t have enough supply, the same IP addresses will be used repeatedly. 

Inevitably, some IP addresses will get banned and assigned for your use, meaning that you might be restricted access without any misuse from your side. Choose a provider with a large enough IP pool to minimize any possible risks.

Customer support is something that needs to be available in case of emergencies. Of course, it is best if there are no downtimes and you have no need to contact them at all, but if you will, they better respond quickly. Better check how fast the provider responds before purchasing anything.

Wrapping up

Choosing a Nike proxy is not that hard. Look for a residential or ISP type, a protocol that suits your bot and a trusted specialized sneaker proxy provider. It all falls into place when you know what you are looking for.