Kicks Crew is an online marketplace for fresh sneakers sourced directly from authorized retailers.
But is Kicks Crew legit and safe for shopping? Are their products genuine?
In this Kicks Crew review, I’ll explore the pros and cons of purchasing from them, break down their policies, and offer alternatives if you want different options beyond what Kicks Crew provides.
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What Is Kicks Crew?
Kicks Crew is a global sneaker marketplace that offers over 400,000 products from popular brands like Nike, Onitsuka Tiger, and New Balance.
The platform was originally founded in 2008 in Hong Kong by Johnny Mak, and operated on third-party platforms like Amazon, eBay, TMall, and JD.com.
After witnessing growth and popularity, Kicks Crew shifted to a business-to-business-to-consumer model in 2021.
Today, Kicks Crew sources sneakers directly from retailers to fulfill customer orders.
Most of their sellers are based outside the US, in countries like Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and Shanghai. This wide international network allows Kicks Crew to offer a diverse selection at competitive prices.
Kicks Crew also ensures that all sneakers are brand-new and unworn, so you won’t find used items on their platform.
In short, Kicks Crew is the go-to online destination for sneakerheads to buy authentic kicks directly from retailers.
Is Kicks Crew Legit?
Kicks Crew is a legitimate company based in New York, US that attracts 5.2 million monthly visits. The company has built its reputation by working with professional athletes to create signature basketball shoes.
For example, NBA player Austin Reaves launched his signature shoe, the Rigorer AR1, with Kicks Crew. Another major release is the AG4 by Aaron Gordon.
Kicks Crew’s legitimacy is further supported by major multi-million dollar investments. Kyrie Irving from the Dallas Mavericks joined Kicks Crew as the Chief Community Officer after investing in the company.
Is Kicks Crew Safe?
Buying from Kicks Crew is 100% safe as they exclusively feature new, authentic, unworn shoes in perfect condition from authorized retailers.
Kicks Crew also ensures a safe buying experience by carefully inspecting the products before shipping them to you.
When you order a pair of sneakers, the retailer first ships them to Kicks Crew. Their team then performs a thorough authenticity check on each item. After passing this check, Kicks Crew sends the sneakers directly to you.
In addition, Kicks Crew attaches an RFID zip tie to each pair of sneakers. This tag helps track all the information, including the price model, retailer, and size.
This whole process makes sure that you always receive genuine, high-quality products exactly as you ordered them.
If you’re a sneakerhead who resells sneakers on the side, then Kicks Crew is a perfect source.
What Products Does Kicks Crew Sell?
Kicks Crew provides a massive inventory of over 400,000 products for men, women, and kids on their website and mobile app.
While the platform is known for their extensive sneaker collection, Kicks Crew also offers a range of sportswear and accessories.
Their diverse product lineup includes:
- Bags
- Blazer
- Basketball Jerseys
- Caps
- Down Jacket
- Hoodies
- Jackets
- Joggers
- Watches
- Sneakers
- T-shirts
Customers often commend the high quality and authenticity of Kicks Crew’s products. Their website features useful filters on product catalog pages to help you easily navigate their listings.
For those who want something specific, Kicks Crew’s website has a search bar at the top that helps you find quick and targeted searches.
How Kicks Crew Works for Buyers
Kicks Crew offers brand-new items from popular, upscale brands on their marketplace.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to shopping on Kicks Crew:
Open An Account
While you can shop on Kicks Crew as a guest, creating an account offers additional benefits. You can enjoy discounts, receive updates on new arrivals, and get promotional offers.
Plus, you can create a wishlist and save items in your cart to give you more time to decide.
To create an account, follow these steps:
- Go to the Kicks Crew homepage.
- Click on the user icon at the top right of the page.
- Below the “Sign In” button, click on “Create Account.”
- Fill in your name and email address, and choose a password.
Click “Create.”
After registering, you’ll receive an email with a link. Click the link to activate your new account.
Shop On Kicks Crew
Kicks Crew limits purchases to one unit per order, as items often come from different suppliers.
As a result of this policy, you won’t find an “Add to Cart” button on product pages. Instead, you’ll see “Checkout” buttons for each item.
Despite this limitation, Kicks Crew has a user-friendly website where you can browse and shop by brands, athletes, and different categories.
Kicks Crew Verification
When you place an order with Kicks Crew, they notify their partnered seller to fulfill it.
The seller first checks their inventory to confirm if the ordered product is in stock. If it’s not available, Kicks Crew cancels the order and refunds the payment.
However, this situation is uncommon.
If the product is available, the seller sends it to Kicks Crew’s quality control center for verification.
Here, each product goes through a thorough check to ensure its authenticity. This includes examining the box, color, material, stitching, sizing, and more.
After passing the verification process, Kicks Crew attaches their verified tag to the product. Then, they hand it over to the courier for delivery.
Kicks Crew Shipping
Kicks Crew typically delivers orders within seven to ten business days, but this can vary based on your location and the selected delivery method.
For customers in the US, the standard delivery time is two to six business days. However, many customers have reported delivery times extending to at least ten business days, mainly because many orders are shipped from international locations.
Plus, Kicks Crew charges a shipping fee ranging from $25 to $70, depending on the destination address.
Here’s a breakdown of their shipping charges for different countries:
- $35 for the US, Japan, and Vietnam.
- $40 for Brunei and Indonesia.
- $45 for Germany, India, Italy, Jordan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, and UAE.
- $50 for Canada, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK.
- $55 for Bahrain, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Oman, and Qatar.
- $60 for Portugal.
- $64 for Ghana.
- $65 for Brazil, Iceland, and Mexico.
- $70 for Israel.
What Is Kicks Crew’s Return Policy?
Kicks Crew’s return policy allows you to return your order within seven days of receiving it to be eligible for a refund.
When you return an item, Kicks Crew charges a 15% restocking fee based on the total transaction amount.
You are responsible for the cost of shipping the item back.
If you need a different size, Kicks Crew allows size exchanges within seven days of delivery, depending on availability.
What Payment Methods Does Kicks Crew Accept?
Kicks Crew accepts payments from Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover, JCB, Diners Club and PayPal. US-based customers can also use Klarna to make payments.
Kicks Crew Pros and Cons
Kicks Crew provides a wide range of sneakers at competitive prices, sourced from authorized retailers. However, some drawbacks include a brief return period, high shipping fees, and a complicated returns process.
Kicks Crew Pros
- Authorized sellers: The platform exclusively allows authorized retailers and big brands to sell, which greatly reduces the risk of counterfeit products.
- Assurance of authenticity: Each product on Kicks Crew is verified for authenticity before it reaches the customer.
- Extensive collection: The platform offers a vast selection of brands and products, giving customers plenty of choices.
Kicks Crew Cons
- High shipping fee: The shipping fee starts from $35 and goes up to $70 for certain countries.
- Complex return process: Returns must be made within seven days, and there’s a 15% restocking fee on each returned order.
- Long shipping time: According to online reviews, delivery can take two to three weeks on average.
The Truth About Kicks Crew Reviews
Kicks Crew’s online reputation is mixed, with a 3.5 out of 5 stars rating on Trustpilot and a lower 1.3 out of 5 stars on Sitejabber. Common customer complaints focus on high shipping costs, slow responses from customer support, and difficulties in processing exchanges.
Here’s a closer look at typical Kicks Crew reviews and some strategies to navigate these issues:
Kicks Crew Review #1: Slow Customer Support
Many customers find Kicks Crew’s customer support team helpful but slow, often taking two to three business days to reply to emails.
Moreover, the lack of a phone number or live chat feature means there’s no option for immediate assistance with urgent order issues.
However, Kicks Crew tends to process return and exchange requests on the same day since they have a strict seven-day return policy.
Given these factors, you should avoid placing complex or urgent orders on Kicks Crew.
Kicks Crew Review #2: Expensive Shipping
Kicks Crew charges a high shipping fee. For the US, the fee is $35, and for other countries, it ranges from $40 to $70 per pair of sneakers.
These fees exclude customs duties, and since most orders are international, you might face significant duty taxes depending on the value of the shoes.
To avoid unexpected costs, check the duty-free import limits of your country. In the US, for example, you can import up to $800 worth of goods without duty charges.
Kicks Crew Review #3: Difficult To Exchange
Kicks Crew’s return policy states that all exchanges must be returned within seven days of delivery, and customers are responsible for the return shipping costs.
A significant challenge is the customer service response time. Since exchanges and returns have such a narrow window, delayed responses from customer service (often taking two to three business days) can leave you with very little time to return the items.
That’s why it’s better to order from Kicks Crew only if you are sure about your size to avoid the hassle of exchanges.
Kicks Crew Alternatives
If Kicks Crew doesn’t meet your needs, consider these alternatives:
GOAT
GOAT is one of the largest online sneaker marketplaces in the world that offers 320,000 brand-new and used items from 350 brands.
Unlike Kicks Crew, GOAT allows individual sellers to list their products on the platform, though each seller goes through a thorough vetting process.
The best part about GOAT is that you can purchase unworn items with minor cosmetic imperfections at significantly reduced prices.
Regarding returns, GOAT has a slightly more lenient policy, allowing return requests within three days of delivery, compared to the 7-day window offered by Kicks Crew.
StockX
StockX is a company based in Detroit specializing in brand-new, unworn items on their marketplace.
They have a bid-ask system where sellers set prices, buyers make offers, and deals take place when one party agrees to the other’s price.
On the downside, StockX doesn’t accept returns or exchanges. However, they have a “Buyer Promise” that covers errors made by StockX, such as shipping the wrong order or incorrectly verifying an item.
Fight Club
Flight Club is a sneaker consignment store with physical outlets in New York, Los Angeles, and Miami, alongside an online platform for buying and selling sneakers.
The company was acquired by GOAT in 2018. However, the process for selling sneakers with Fight Club differs from GOAT.
Sellers are required to submit their sneakers to Fight Club for verification. Once verified, Fight Club determines sale prices based on shoe condition, rarity, and size availability.
Fight Club then lists these sneakers in various places, including their retail stores, flightclub.com, goat.com, and the GOAT app.
Like StockX, Flight Club’s sales are final, with no returns or exchanges unless there’s an error on their part.
Should You Buy From Kicks Crew?
Kicks Crew is a relatively new player in the sneaker marketplace and is currently in the early stages of funding as a startup company.
Their return policy is quite strict, only allowing returns within seven days of receiving the goods, which has been a point of complaint for many customers.
In addition, Kicks Crew is known for high shipping fees and slow delivery times.
However, Kicks Crew does have a significant following, with over 5 million monthly visits. Popular basketball players and brands are also either collaborating or investing in this company.
While strict return policies are common among online stores, if you’re not sure about your size or if the shoe is right for you, it’s better to avoid buying from Kicks Crew due to their 15% restocking fee on returns.
Instead, look at GOAT for better return policies or Fight Club if you live near one of their stores.
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Steve Chou is a highly recognized influencer in the ecommerce space and has taught thousands of students how to effectively sell physical products online over at ProfitableOnlineStore.com.
His blog, MyWifeQuitHerJob.com, has been featured in Forbes, Inc, The New York Times, Entrepreneur and MSNBC.
He's also a contributing author for BigCommerce, Klaviyo, ManyChat, Printful, Privy, CXL, Ecommerce Fuel, GlockApps, Privy, Social Media Examiner, Web Designer Depot, Sumo and other leading business publications.
In addition, he runs a popular ecommerce podcast, My Wife Quit Her Job, which is a top 25 marketing show on all of Apple Podcasts.
To stay up to date with all of the latest ecommerce trends, Steve runs a 7 figure ecommerce store, BumblebeeLinens.com, with his wife and puts on an annual ecommerce conference called The Sellers Summit.
Steve carries both a bachelors and a masters degree in electrical engineering from Stanford University. Despite majoring in electrical engineering, he spent a good portion of his graduate education studying entrepreneurship and the mechanics of running small businesses.