In the United States, the 1980s saw the emergence of sneaker culture.
Hip-hop music and its huge impact on fashion, and Michael Jordan’s influence on basketball and his very first sneaker deal with Nike as well, which resulted in the establishment of the legendary Air Jordan sneaker series, propelled the sneaker industry to its current position.
Sneaker collecting has developed from a niche pastime to a worldwide occurrence all over the years. Sneakerheads have begun purchasing, selling, and trading shoes in addition to collecting them.
According to Cowen Inc., an American multinational individual investment bank, the sneaker selling market is valued at around $6 billion internationally by 2025, as per a June 2020 report.
An increasing number of sneakerheads are interested in obtaining rare, classic sneakers. They will go to extraordinary lengths to obtain rare or used shoes as well as unique limited-edition sneakers.
The sturdy gold OVO x Air Jordans are widely known as the most costly sneakers in the globe, with an asking price of around US$2 million.
With the rise of online markets, numerous sneakerheads have turned to the internet to find rare kicks.
GOAT is a trusted and respected platform among sneakerheads. According to a Business Insider report, GOAT is the global’s largest marketplace for premium sneakers, with a $250 million valuation.
GOAT is a 100% genuine sneaker marketplace that has acquired a fan following between many sneakerheads, with more than $100 million in funding, 12 million users, a huge stock of over 400,000 pairs for sale, and over 600 workers.
Before you actually place your order, here are a few facts about GOAT you should be aware of. It will absolutely help you spot if Goat shoes are real or fake.
Is GOAT a Trustworthy Sneaker Trading Site?
The emergence of e platforms has aided the spread of fake items, making it much more challenging to locate legitimate online selling platforms and websites.
GOAT, which is an official acronym for Greatest of All Time in sports, is among the most dependable platforms for trading sneakers currently.
GOAT was established in 2015 by university friends Daishin Sugano and Eddy Lu. Daishin came up with the idea for a shoe buy-and-sell app after purchasing a counterfeit pair of Air Jordan 5 Grapes.
After discussing Eddy’s experience, the two attempted to develop the app with the goal of becoming the globe’s most respected marketplace.
Foot Locker, the top athletic apparel and footwear reseller, invested $100 million in GOAT in February 2019.
Does GOAT Sell Counterfeit Sneakers?
You can rest assured that GOAT does not support the sale of unauthorized or counterfeit items.
GOAT not only provides a reliable platform for market participants (sellers and buyers), but they also verify product authenticity to avoid counterfeits and knockoffs on their reselling marketplace.
How does the GOAT site function?
Independent resellers, shops, and retailers list their items for sale on the GOAT’s official marketplace, while purchasers browse the listings.
Retailers can list any sneaker on the marketplace, but they must first deliver their reselling items to GOAT for authorization.
The product will be delivered to the buyer after it has been verified. However, if the sneakers are discovered not as described or be counterfeit, GOAT will not deliver the shoes and will issue a complete refund to the purchaser.
GOAT retail goods are pre-verified and delivered straight from reliable retail and boutique collaborators.
Sneakers marked “Instant Ship” on their platform are also pre-verified and fully prepared to deliver from GOAT amenities to purchasers.
If you’re new to GOAT, you might wonder what does GS means on shoes? Check out our GS Shoes Size Chart guide for a breakdown of this shoe sizing term on GOAT. You can also refer to our guide on authenticating Adidas and Nike sneakers to ensure you’re getting the real deal on GOAT.
How does GOAT Verify the Authenticity of Shoes?
With a huge number of sneaker listings on their platform, discovering counterfeits is a difficult task.
GOAT, on the other hand, uses its own innovative AI technology to detect counterfeit shoes. GOAT is able to confirm the authenticity of the sneakers by digitally mimicking the crucial attributes of each sneaker using computer vision as well as some more Amazon Web Services tools.
Furthermore, GOAT has a skilled team of shoe experts who can distinguish the difference between counterfeit and genuine sneakers even without using the AI technology.
However, the team of authenticators collaborates with the AI to identify and confirm the authenticity of the sneakers.
What Is The Shipping Policy Of GOAT?
In general, the GOAT’s shipping fees are high and are determined by many elements, including the product’s weight, shipping location, product value, customs and responsibilities, and ship rates as well.
Domestic delivery to the 48 contiguous United States is $12 at GOAT, which is predicated in Culver City, California, and up to $15 to Hawaii and Alaska.
Purchasers must expect to be paid the $25 shipping fee for Insta Ship-labeled products with Next Day shipping.
Delivering to Canada is $30, the People’s Republic of China is $25, and all other worldwide destinations are $40. Extra fees might apply if you order heavy or various products.
GOAT gathers Sales Tax on taxable goods delivered to consumers in specific states and regions and repays the tax to the appropriate taxing authority.
The applied Sales Tax rate is determined by the purchaser’s shipping address. Shipping fees may be included in the Sales Tax in some states, but not in others.
After confirmation and authentication, the product is transported to the purchaser from GOAT’s Hong Kong venue if the vendor is from the Asia Pacific region.
If you want to avoid purchasing fake sneakers, make sure to check out our guide on How to Spot Fake Vs. Original Adidas/Nike Sneakers? . This guide will help you understand the differences between authentic and fake sneakers and ensure that you get your hands on the real deal.
How Long Does It Take For The Delivery To Be Processed?
As previously stated, all shoes, with the exception of pre-verified Insta Ship products, are delivered to the GOAT head office for verification before being shipped to the purchaser.
It will take between three and four business days to deliver to GOAT, and one to two business days for the GOAT team to affirm the item, and another three to four days to deliver to the customer.
In brief, the order will be shipped to the purchaser’s address in the United States within seven to ten business days.
GOAT also offers Next Day shipping for Insta Ship orders with a pickup location in the neighboring states. The product will generally be shipped to the purchaser within one to two days.
Nevertheless, this delivery option is not available for Post Office Boxes or army bases.
People living in The United States who order accessories and apparel should expect the goods to arrive within four to eight business days.
International orders, on the flip side, might take longer to arrive due to customs delays.
Emergency cases or adverse weather, like other deliveries, might induce item shipment delays.
Is There A Retail Presence For GOAT?
Following the acquisition of the legendary shoe marketplace, Flight Club, in 2018, GOAT now has retail locations in New York City and Los Angeles.
StockX, an online platform established in Detroit by Chris Kaufman, Dan Gilbert, Chris Kaufman, Greg Schwartz, and Josh Luber in 2015–2016, is GOAT’s main rival. The two organizations have multiple online reviews and feedback, and it is just difficult to say which one is superior.
One significant distinction is that StockX only sells genuine shoes that have never been worn and are still in their original packaging. According to the feedback I have read, the majority of GOAT and StockX consumer complaints are about delayed deliveries and broken boxes.
A few sneakerheads also use the famous Moosetraxshop, eBay, Sneaker Con app, and social media to buy and sell sneakers.
Is it Possible to Exchange or Return Products Purchased from GOAT?
GOAT so accepts returns on accessory, apparel, New No Box, and New In Box sales, as well as through their GOAT Clean program, provided that the products are in the same condition as when delivered.
Products labeled special goods, GOAT Storage, Final Sale, as well as used items and special products labeled Pre-Release, ID, Vintage, Custom, Sample, and Defect, are final and cannot be given back or transferred.
GOAT, however, doesn’t accept returns, cash back, or transfers on products delivered to a freight forwarder or a Chinese shipping address.
Purchasers have three days from the day the order is given to ask for a return and then return the product to GOAT. Consumers have to log in to their GOAT account and then tap the “Request Return” tab in the GOAT app to request a return.
Returned goods will be evaluated, which might take up to a week. Once accepted, GOAT will issue a refund only in the form of GOAT credit, which could be used for future orders on the GOAT app.
In addition, GOAT does not provide free return delivery, and refunds don’t include any delivery costs.
What is the Procedure for Canceling an Order on GOAT?
Purchasers might cancel orders within 3 hours of placing them, or before the vendor confirms the order, just whatever occurs first.
Orders will be automatically affirmed and cannot be canceled for pre-verified and formally approved products delivered from their store and shop partners.
What Payment Methods Does Goat Accept?
For domestic transactions, GOAT does accept Mastercard, Visa, American Express, Afterpay, JCB, Affirm, and Discover. Paypal, Apple Pay, Alipay, and Google Pay are also accepted.
