Sneaker Bot Proxy Guide 2026
Sneaker bots live and die on proxy quality. The bot is the tool — the proxy is what keeps it invisible. Nike SNKRS, Adidas, Footsites (Foot Locker, Champs, Eastbay), and YeezySupply all run sophisticated bot detection. Here's what actually works in 2026.
Why proxies are non-negotiable for sneaker bots
Sneaker sites use three layers of protection that make direct connections from a single IP impossible at any meaningful scale:
Residential vs ISP proxies: what's the difference?
The sneaker community distinguishes between two residential proxy types that are often conflated:
| Type | Source | Speed | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | Consumer home devices | Variable (10–100ms+) | Footsites, Adidas, SNKRS queue |
| ISP Proxies | Datacenter + ISP ASN | < 10ms | Speed-sensitive FCFS releases |
| Datacenter | Hosting ASN | < 5ms | Blocked by all sneaker sites |
ISP proxies (marketed as "ISP proxies" or "static residential") are datacenter IPs that have been route-announced through residential ISP blocks. They look residential at the ASN level while delivering datacenter speeds. They command a price premium and have limited pool sizes — but for speed-first releases, they're the right tool.
For standard queue-based releases (Nike SNKRS, Adidas), residential proxies work well. The queue enters at release time and success depends more on tasks count and account health than raw connection speed.
Site-by-site proxy requirements
Nike SNKRS
Residential required. One entry per account per IP. Use sticky sessions per task. US residential for US drops — geo-matching matters. City-level targeting for local releases.
Adidas (confirmed drops)
Residential required. Heavy bot detection (DataDome). Geo-targeting to release country mandatory. Rotate between tasks, sticky within each task flow.
Footsites (Foot Locker, Champs, Eastbay)
Residential or ISP proxies. Footsites run Akamai bot detection. US-only proxies for US site. One account per IP per session recommended.
YeezySupply
Residential required. Cloudflare + custom bot detection. Historically the most aggressive — rotate IPs aggressively between tasks.
Supreme
ISP or residential. EU proxies for EU site, US for US. Fast proxies matter more here — Supreme drops are speed-sensitive.
Proxy configuration for common sneaker bots
Most sneaker bots (Koi, Wrath, Kodai, NSB, MEKpreme) expect proxies in one of two formats:
Standard formats
IP:PORT:USER:PASS
USER:PASS@IP:PORT
Use the Proxy Format Converter tool to batch-convert between formats →
Use the Proxies.VISION format converter to batch-convert your proxy list between formats supported by different bots.
How many proxies do you need?
A simple rule: one unique IP per bot task per release. If you're running 50 tasks on Nike SNKRS, you need 50 IPs that haven't touched the site within the same session window.
With residential proxies from a rotating gateway like Proxies.VISION, you don't manage a static IP list — the gateway assigns a fresh residential IP per connection. Configure your bot to use a new proxy session per task, and the rotation is handled automatically.
For ISP proxies (static), you need a dedicated list sized to your task count. These are typically sold per-IP per-month, so the economics scale differently.
Regional targeting: why it matters
Sneaker sites use geo-IP to enforce regional product availability and shipping restrictions. A US residential IP is required to access US-only Nike SNKRS drops. EU proxy for EU Adidas releases.
Beyond basic country targeting, city-level targeting matters for local releases and Jordan Brand regional exclusives. Proxies.VISION supports city-level targeting across 195+ countries, letting you target specific metropolitan areas to match drop regions.
Residential proxies for sneaker bots
42M+ genuine ISP IPs. City-level targeting.
$1/GB, sticky sessions up to 30 min, instant activation. No subscription required — buy per release.