It's no wonder then that secondary sneaker marketplaces such as StockX are on the rise. In fact, according to a report by The NPD Group, a staggering 29% of all footwear bought online is done through this platform in 2019.

So why exactly is it so popular at the moment? What's the reason that 60% of Gen Z males buy their favourite sneakers and streetwear pieces from this site? And most importantly, is StockX even legit? Let's find out.

You might be wondering, how exactly does the StockX authentication process work? With six authentication centres around the world each piece goes through rigorous, multi-step verification procedure to ensure what you're buying is 100% legit. Firstly, StockX only allow deadstock items on their marketplace, meaning that every item bought or sold must be brand new and never worn and should come with all original accessories such as laces or hangtags. Next stop, the material construction is analysed extensively with checklists of 100+ data points, and this is repeated for the packaging as well.

While it's easy for fake factories to try and replicate sneaker technologies, StockX use machine learning to aid their authenticators in catching every minor detail. Of course, it wouldn't be fully boxfresh without every single accessory and additional add-ons in place. These must be included before the product is sent out to you. StockX themselves stated that this process ensures a 99.95% accuracy rate, however this is a claim which has been disputed by Nike which led StockX to change their promise from offering "authentic" sneakers to offering "verified" sneakers.

Despite this however, StockX still have some of the most thorough and researched processes for authenticating sneakers and ensuring you aren't purchasing a pair of fakes.

StockX has a very strict process for making sure the goods you receive are legit. They have a two stage authentication and verification process to weed out any possible fakes, reps and dupes. They would not knowingly ship out a pair of fake shoes and have some of the most experienced legit checkers on their team to help ensure the best experience for their users.

In general, StockX try to complete all ordered within 7 to 12 days, not including holidays and weekends. However, some factors which could delay this are how quickly the seller can send the item to one of their authentication centres and the verification process itself. Legit checkers may also take a few extra days on a particular item if they want to be 100% sure. This will be placed under additional tests and checks to ensure that what you get is definitely genuine.