Sneaker bots are more widespread than ever, and it looks like Nike might have the only effective way to stop them.
With supposed anti-bot systems like End Launches, Supreme's"ghost order" method, and even adidas' Yeezy microsite experiencing issues, Highsnobiety says that Nike might be the only site with an answer for automated purchases.
"I can tell you with 100 percent confidence, any non-lottery site is bottable," Highsnobiety software engineer James Murphy said. "Sometimes even finding the link for the purchase is easy with a bot, for example with Yeezy Supply and Mr Porter, or sometimes you just need the bot to click around, in the case of Supreme."
It's not limited to sneakers and streetwear, either, as bots are also known to plague sites like Ticketmaster—something the company has been trying to combat for years—and even the stock market.
According to Highsnobiety, the only way to avoid bots is to use a lottery system that requires customer to enter their payment and shipping information prior to the purchase, much like Nike's SNKRS platform. The site goes on to say that SNKRS is the only system that is "truly bot-proof and crash-proof," however even that claim can be disputed, as anyone who caught the "air ball" error during February's "OVO" Jordan X release can attest.
To read more about the current state of sneaker bots, hit up Highsnobiety now.
