A Guide to Buying Sneakers From Overseas

Image via Complex Original

Not every country in Europe—or the rest of the globe—uses the same currency. That’s the most important thing to remember, and it will also help dictate the best international boutiques to shop at. For starters, the British pound gives a very unfavorable exchange rate, and that can really hurt when factors such as shipping are added in. The Euro, on the other hand, is much closer to the U.S. dollar than the pound, and buying things from the Eurozone isn’t going to kill your budget—although it's still more expensive. Before you get too far into whether you're going to buy something or not, make sure you really want to pay in pounds, krones, yen, or Australian dollars, and how much the U.S. dollar is worth compared to these international currencies. This can be easily done by Googling "pounds to dollars," etc.

There’s a great disparity in shipping rates from overseas shops. Stores that get more international business are more likely to have more reasonable shipping prices. Retailers such as size? have a standard shipping rate of £4.99 to the U.S., which roughly translates to $8. Even if there are sales at international boutiques, a shipping charge of £25 could easily cancel out those savings. 

At times, we can get lured in the by the mystery of buying things from international stores—it’s much like finding a mom and pop’s store that no one else knows about. It’s your personal treasure trove. These stores, however, don’t always have as exclusive of a selection as you’d believe. So make sure to check U.S. stores such as Bodega, Kith, Concepts, Packer Shoes, Sneaker Politics, and Undefeated first. You might find that pair of ASICS you were about to purchase from a boutique in Italy for a lower price from a Stateside retailer. If not, make your purchase.

It’s one thing to look around at other stores to see if they carry the sneakers you plan to purchase, but it’s a completely other matter to buy something from overseas when it ends up releasing at a U.S. retailer a few weeks later. For example: the “Washed Denim” Air Max 90s were once believed to be an exclusive to Japanese retailer atmos, but are set to release on Nike.com. As for sneaker collaborations, one of the reasons a lot of us were first driven to Japanese and European shops in the first place, it seems like a lot are being initially released at their home stores and then trickled down to other outlets. ASICS, Saucony, and New Balance collabs, as of late, have seen multiple re-releases, while Nike special makeups, low-quantity ROOS collabs, and adidas ZX Flux designed for one-time events tend to only drop at one location. So grab those up. But waiting, albeit temporarily, can be a good strategy. 

Sorry, there will be sneakers that can’t be shipped to the U.S. Foot Locker Europe, for instance, which gets many exclusives, does not ship to the Americas. In fact, Footlocker EU doesn’t even ship to all of Europe. This will require actually knowing people who reside in Europe or getting a proxy service to ship to you, which will cost you an additional amount. Making friends overseas is key. Not only can they help you out with the sneakers you want, but you can hook them up with the U.S.-only releases, too.

There's nothing that will kick you more than missing out on a sneaker you could have had and never getting another chance to cop. Such is the case with European exclusive sneakers. We're not just talking about collaborations, either. Stores such as JD Sports, size?, and a handful of German boutiques like Solebox and Overkill carry exclusive Nike and adidas mainline product that won't drop in the U.S. They're not that limited, but they're intended for the European market. A good example of this is Air Max 93s that only drop at Foot Locker Europe. If you needed anymore convincing, here it is: Buy the damn sneakers.

Air Jordans are all the rage in the U.S., but that’s nothing new. Overseas, Europe in particular, is a different story. Many of these countries don’t have histories with basketball sneakers. When Air Jordans release, they’ll sit on shelves, and, in some cases, go on sale. Don’t get it twisted: Jordans are more expensive in Europe, but they can release later than its U.S. counterparts and there’s not as much competition over them. Some stores even have random restocks—remember what Sneakersnstuff did earlier this year?—that yield impressive results. You should still go to American sources for your Jordans first to get the best value, but look at these other places as a backup.

Stores such as Très Bien have become known across the globe as outlets for the most stylish of guys, and their footwear selections are a big part of it. Many go to these stores, however, not for their selection of Nikes and adidas sneakers, but for what they offer in the luxury category. Their regular sneaker offerings can be a bit overpriced, but great sales can be had on sneakers from fashion houses. These are what you should zoom your focus on.

For U.S. residents, it's common knowledge that if you purchase something online from a state that has sales tax and you live that state, then you're going to pay that tax. The same goes for dealing with Europe, and it's called a VAT, a Value Added Tax, and it ranges between 15 to 27 percent, depending on which country it's coming from (you can view all the rates here). It's a tax that's added to the price of goods for people who live within the applicable areas. For those outside of that zone, they don't have to pay it. But take into consideration that some sites already have this fee figured into the prices and will remove it once a purchase is ready to be made. Think of it as an instant discount.

We’re not saying that you should only shop at the most-popular overseas boutiques, but there’s a reason why some of these shops have bigger reputations in the U.S.: They’re easier to deal with and have better policies. The lesser known shops are great to find sizes that slipped through the cracks, but they might cost you a little more, too. The prices might not be competitive for an international market, the shipping costs might be higher, and the customer service might not be the greatest, in regards to language barriers and clear communication. Stores that have become known for their collaborations and being early stockists of limited product are, typically, the most optimal for international business.

Besides shipping fees, there's the whole issue of getting things through customs. The rule of thumb is that if an item is purchased, and it's not a gift, then anything that's $200 or less goes through customs duty free. This is major when purchasing sneakers overseas. When paying an inflated rate due to currency differences, it can easily tack more money onto the item being bought if it reaches that two-bills threshold. Stores don't take responsibility for these custom charges and they fall on the person who ordered the item. Before you finalize your payment, you can calculate how much you're going to pay in duties.

Besides currency exchange rates, the biggest difference about buying sneakers overseas is time itself. Most of Europe is five to six hours ahead of the U.S., and much of Asia is a full half-day apart from EST. If you're going for something that's been in-stock for awhile, this doesn't matter, but take it into consideration for release dates or if you're trying to correspond with someone from the retailer. An 8 a.m. release at size? happens at 3 a.m. in the U.S., so grab an alarm clock or cup of coffee. Also, don't freak out if it takes awhile for someone to answer your email, they may be sleeping.

A majority of websites are in English, but some aren't. Often, there is an option to view the U.S. website, but if there isn't, Google Translate is your best friend. Trust us, it's no fun trying to figure out what you're looking at versus knowing what you're doing.

Besides language barriers, there's also the international sizing issue. If you're buying something from the UK, the sizing is going to be one size off. If you're shopping on European sites, it might be in European sizing (think 41, 42, 43). And if you're on a Japanese website, the sizing might be in CMs. Look at a shoe size chart or a previous box you own from the same brand. Not all brands sizing translates the same, and you might end up with something a half-size too small or too big.