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10th Jun 2016

Never pay retail price with our guide to saving loads of money when buying trainers

We spoke to the people behind @SneakerDealsGB for tips on buying trainers for cheap

Carl Anka

Summer is (supposed to be) here and with it comes a summer wardrobe.

The nice weather should see you swapping your big rain prepared boots for some sleek summer trainers for your day to day adventures, and to help you out, we reached out to one of the biggest trainer experts around for making the switch.

Social media account @SneakerDealsGB is one of the go-to pages for those looking to buy trainers on the cheap. Since 2011, the account has been a shining beacon for sneakerheads on Twitter, frequently posting when and where trainers go on sale or get restocked, their motto is “never pay retail”.

We slid into the DMs of the people behind the account to ask some quick questions about buying and looking after your trainers.

Adidas NMDS-May 28 copy

Adidas NMDs are some of the most sought out trainers on the market right now. Everytime a new batch is released, they’re sold in seconds.

Hi anonymous person running my favourite Twitter account? What are your top tips for getting trainers on the cheap?

My three top tips would be:

1) Buy out of season. Sure, you feel a bit of a wally buying your Timberlands in the peak of summer and your summer slides when it’s snowing outside but that’s the best way to make the biggest savings. Buy them, stock them and rock them 6 months later.

2) Go beyond the high street. Most people think you have to buy your trainers from one of the big retailers such as JD Sports or Size? etc but actually some of the best deals we see come from the least likely places. Such as small independent skate board shops (Route One, Flatspot), fashion dominant sites (Very, ASOS) and don’t forget those European retailers (e.g. SneakerBaas and Afew).

3) Don’t be afraid to ask SneakerdealsGB! If a trainer has been discounted, chances are we’ll know where, and if we don’t then we may know a discount code for a retailer that has them. 

Nike Air Jordan IV

Nike Air Jordan IVs. A classic release in the Jordan lineage, and our mystery tipster’s favourite pair of trainers.

After you’ve bought your trainers, what’s your advice to looking after them properly? How do we make sure we don’t spill tequila on our favourite trainers?

Haha – I know the feeling! Although tequila at least leaves less visible mess than sambuca…

A good protector always does the trick – we use Liquiproof. Seriously, check some of the videos of it in action on YouTube. Aside from that, just make sure you wear appropriate footwear for the occasion, e.g. Don’t take your best air max to the festival…

Finally, do you have any predictions for big trainer trends in the future?

People are gonna go crazy when the Air Max 97 returns for its anniversary year in 2017. This has to be one of the most requested models I get and since Nike stopped retailing them, the thirst is real! I just hope Nike then don’t bring them back and saturate the market as they did with the Huarache. 

Nike Air Max 97

Got a pair of Air Max 97s? Dust them off, they’re about to make a comeback in a big way.

Do you have any tips for buying and looking after your trainers? Let us know at hello@JOE.co.uk, or drop us a message on Facebook.