Best proxies for sneaker bots: ISP, residential or datacenter

The three proxy types side by side

A sneaker bot runs many tasks at once, and each task needs its own IP so the store sees separate shoppers. The proxy type decides how that IP behaves during a release: whether it stays put, how fast it answers and how it is billed.

The split matters because a sneaker release is a session, not a single request. A task joins a queue, holds a cart and submits an order. If the IP changes in the middle, many stores treat the task as a new visitor.

What the bot makers recommend

The people who build the bots publish their own advice, and it lines up with the table. NSB recommends ISPs for Nike and keeps residential mainly for Shopify sites with bot protection. Its FAQ also suggests picking proxies close to your server, or near New York or Chicago if you run the bot from home.

Valor's documentation calls proxies "highly recommended, and on many sites nearly required." For Pokémon Center it recommends ISP proxies and no more than one task per proxy, because a residential IP can change and send the task back to the queue, even when it is labelled static.

For Shopify, Valor's guide says drops with proxy protection need static residential proxies and notes that ISP IPs now wait longer in Shopify's queue than residential ones. NSB points the same stores to residential. The honest takeaway: test both types on Shopify before you commit a whole release to one.

Match the proxy to the store

Use this as a starting point, then let your own test results overrule it.

Nike's draw rules still apply whatever proxy you use. Its SNKRS terms allow one entry per person per product and require a verified phone number, and entries that break the rules can be cancelled.

What makes a good sneaker ISP list

Two lists can both be called "sneaker ISP" and behave very differently on release day. Check these five points before you buy.

• Dedicated, not shared. A shared IP may already be burned by someone else's tasks on the same store.
• Carrier range. Look up the IP and read the organisation name; it should be an internet provider, not a hosting company.
• Country matches the store. A UK footsite wants a UK IP; a US Nike account wants a US IP.
• Term long enough. Member accounts should keep the same IP for months, not days.
• Replacement policy. Find out what happens when a line gets banned before you need to ask.

Test a list before release day

A bot's built-in tester only proves the IP connects. Valor's own guide warns that testing "is not a reliable way to determine whether they are good for checkout." Check location and speed first, then run a real task.

Save your list as proxies.txt in ip:port:user:pass format and run this from the machine that runs the bot:

import time

import requests

for line in open("proxies.txt"):
    host, port, user, password = line.strip().split(":")
    proxy = f"http://{user}:{password}@{host}:{port}"
    started = time.monotonic()
    info = requests.get(
        "https://ipinfo.io/json",
        proxies={"http": proxy, "https": proxy},
        timeout=15,
    ).json()
    ms = round((time.monotonic() - started) * 1000)
    print(host, info.get("country"), info.get("org"), f"{ms} ms")

Each line should print the country you ordered, an internet provider in the org field and a response time you can live with. Then run one task per IP on the target store a day before the release, and drop any IP that fails.

Where ProxyLane fits

ProxyLane sells dedicated sneaker ISP IPs at $3.90 per IP for 30 days, from a pool picked for Nike, Foot Locker and JD Sports. They are in stock in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and Germany, with unlimited traffic and free replacement if a line gets banned. The dashboard exports the list as ip:port:user:pass, ready for any bot.

For Shopify stores with proxy protection, our rotating residential proxies start at $6.50/GB and drop to $2.50/GB on larger packages, and traffic never expires. See the sneaker proxies page for live stock by country, or read how to add proxies to Valor and NSB.

ProxyLaneTraffic never expires

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Scale your workflows with the tools you already use. Rotating or sticky sessions up to 72 hours.

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