Sneaker Con
Sneaker Con is a privately held event marketplace that produces 30+ sneaker convention events annually across 30+ global cities, attracting 300,000+ attendees and 4,000+ vendors for live buying, selling, and trading of sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersElmhurst, United States
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Sneaker Con does
Sneaker Con LLC is a privately held event-driven marketplace company that produces large-scale physical sneaker conventions across more than 30 global cities annually, drawing 300,000+ attendees and 4,000+ vendors. The core product is the Sneaker Con event, a live marketplace combining buying, selling, and trading of sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles, supported by free on-site authentication, a 'Cash Out Crew' instant-buy service staffed by named resellers (Bratty Kicks, Culture Kicks, Heat Archive, Under Market Sneakers, Heavenly Kicks), a 'Trading Pit' for peer-to-peer deals, and tiered ticketing (Early Bird $20, General Admission $25, Fast Pass $35, plus limited Priority tickets with scratch-off prize mechanics). The company monetizes through ticket sales, vendor booth fees, and event sponsorships with partners including MGM, Monster Energy, and Hotel Planner.
The underlying technology stack combines an Eventbrite-powered ticketing front end with a Klaviyo-driven email lifecycle program (60/30/14/1 day pre-event flows) and Postscript SMS campaigns, plus paid performance marketing across Meta and TikTok. Historically, Sneaker Con developed a proprietary NFC-based authentication technology (LEGIT Tag, launched May 2018) and a digital marketplace (launched June 2018), both of which were sold to eBay in November 2021 as part of a transaction that also transferred six global authentication warehouses (New York, Las Vegas, Toronto, London, Berlin, Sydney). Post-divestiture, the company has narrowed its focus to the live event business and launched VNTG CON, a sub-brand for vintage clothing and collectibles events.
Sneaker Con operates as Sneaker Con LLC, was founded in 2008 by Alan Vinogradov (Co-Founder and CEO), Barris Vinogradov (Co-Founder), and Yu-Ming Wu (Co-Founder and CMO), with its inaugural event held in March 2009 at the Times Square Arts Center in New York City. The company is headquartered in New York with marketing operations in NYC, serves consumers and SMB vendors globally across North America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, and has no public funding rounds or institutional investors disclosed in the available source material.
Sneaker Con firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sneaker Con
- Legal name
- Sneaker Con LLC
- Website
- https://sneakercon.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Sneaker Con is a privately held event marketplace that produces 30+ sneaker convention events annually across 30+ global cities, attracting 300,000+ attendees and 4,000+ vendors for live buying, selling, and trading of sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Sneaker Con is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Elmhurst
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Sneaker Con business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Event Ticket Sales: Revenue generated from selling admission tickets to consumers attending Sneaker Con events. Tickets available at Early Bird and Standard pricing tiers.
- Vendor Booth Fees: Revenue from vendors who pay for booth spaces to sell sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles at events. Vendor load-in and table assignments managed by Sneaker Con staff.
- Authentication Services Partnership: Partnership with eBay to provide global authentication services. Sneaker Con operated six global warehouses (New York, Las Vegas, Toronto, London, Berlin, Sydney) for eBay's Authenticity Guaranteed program before selling the authentication business to eBay in November 2021.
- Sponsorship Revenue: Sponsorship opportunities for small and large businesses to have a presence within Sneaker Con events and marketplace. Partners include eBay, MGM, Monster, and Hotel Planner.
- Priority Tickets and Premium Experiences: Premium ticket tiers offering priority entrance, exclusive scratch-off prizes, and half-court shot competitions with cash prizes.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Early Bird Fast Pass - $20.00 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | General Admission - $25.00 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Fast Pass - $35.00 |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Priority Tickets - Limited Availability |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels15 records
Sneaker Con product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sneaker Con operates large-scale physical sneaker convention events in 30+ cities worldwide, providing a live marketplace where attendees buy, sell, and trade sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles. Events include free on-site authentication, a Cash Out Crew that purchases sneakers directly from attendees, a Trading Pit for peer-to-peer deals, and tiered admission tickets (Early Bird, General Admission, Fast Pass, Priority). Revenue is generated from consumer ticket sales, vendor booth fees, and event sponsorships.
Product overview
Sneaker Con operates as an event-based sneaker marketplace company offering a portfolio of live event products and complementary services. The core product is the Sneaker Con physical event—a large-scale sneaker convention that serves as a live marketplace for buying, selling, and trading sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles. This is complemented by VNTG CON, a sub-brand focused on vintage clothing and accessories events. Key service add-ons include free on-site authentication (LEGIT Tag technology), the Ca$$h Out Crew cash buying service, the Trading Pit facilitation area, and Priority Tickets with exclusive perks. The company historically offered a digital marketplace (sold to eBay in 2021) and NFC authentication technology (LEGIT Tag, also sold to eBay), shifting focus to physical events which now number 30+ annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VNTG CON: A vintage clothing, accessories, and collectibles event brand backed by the experience behind Sneaker Con's world-class events, elevating the vintage scene with timeless fashion and modern energy.
Products and services
- Sneaker Con Events Large-scale physical sneaker convention events held in 30+ cities worldwide, serving as the primary live marketplace where attendees buy, sell, and trade sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles. Includes free on-site authentication, Cash Out Crew instant buying, and the Trading Pit for peer-to-peer deals.
- VNTG CON A sub-brand of Sneaker Con dedicated to vintage clothing, accessories, and collectibles events, featuring local sellers alongside top vendors from across the country. Elevates the vintage scene with timeless fashion and modern energy backed by Sneaker Con's world-class event experience.
- Sneaker Con Shop Direct-to-consumer online store offering exclusive Sneaker Con apparel and branded merchandise for sneaker enthusiasts and event attendees.
Quantifiable outcome
- 300,000+ attendees annually across 30+ global events
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Sneaker Con
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Sneaker Con technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
Feature3 records
Sneaker Con partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- eBayflagshipPartnership established October 2020 with eBay to provide authentication services globally in furtherance of eBay's Authenticity Guaranteed program. Sneaker Con operated six global warehouses in New York, Las Vegas, Toronto, London, Berlin, and Sydney to facilitate authentication. In November 2021, Sneaker Con finalized sale of its authentication and marketplace business to eBay, including six global warehouses, authentication IP, and marketplace technology.
- MGMcoreLogo displayed on Sneaker Con partners page. Nature of partnership appears to be event sponsorship/marketing support.
- Monster EnergycoreLogo displayed on Sneaker Con partners page. Nature of partnership appears to be event sponsorship/marketing support.
- Hotel PlannerminorLogo displayed on Sneaker Con partners page. Travel/accommodation partner for event attendees.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves11 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Sneaker Con competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Flight Club: Long-running sneaker consignment retailer with flagship stores in NYC and LA. Competes with Sneaker Con for both consumer mindshare in sneaker culture and access to high-end sneaker buyers/sellers through a different retail (rather than event) model.
- ComplexCon: Complex Networks' flagship sneaker, streetwear, music, and pop-culture convention. Most direct analog to Sneaker Con: large multi-city live events combining sneaker/streetwear vendors, exclusive drops, creator appearances, and sponsorships targeting the same Gen Z/millennial enthusiast audience.
- StockX: Leading online sneaker resale and authentication marketplace with strong cultural resonance in the same sneakerhead community that attends Sneaker Con. Operates in the same sneaker commerce category (resale/authentication) and competes for both sellers (vendors) and buyers (collectors) that fuel Sneaker Con's event demand.
- Stadium Goods: Premium sneaker and streetwear consignment retailer, originally launched as a physical storefront-meets-e-commerce model. Strong brand association with sneaker culture and overlaps with Sneaker Con on curated sneaker/streetwear selling and authentication-style services.
- Round Two: Multi-store vintage and streetwear retailer carrying sneakers, vintage clothing, and collectibles. Comparable to Sneaker Con as a vendor selling at the events themselves and a competitor for the same enthusiast spend across sneakers and adjacent vintage/streetwear categories.
- GOAT: Major online sneaker marketplace with authentication services, closely parallel to StockX. Targets the same sneaker collector/buyer persona and is an alternative channel that can substitute for Sneaker Con's offline trading experience.
Broad incumbents
- eBay: Acquired Sneaker Con's authentication business and digital marketplace in November 2021. Operates Authenticity Guaranteed for sneakers; competes with Sneaker Con for the same consumer wallet on sneaker commerce, while also having been a flagship partner/sponsor of the events business.
- Hypebeast: Sneaker/streetwear/pop-culture media platform that owns the ComplexCon event franchise. Comparable in audience (sneaker/streetwear enthusiasts), in event production (ComplexCon), and in monetization model (sponsorship/content/drops) to Sneaker Con's event-driven cultural position.
Emerging players
- Grailed: Online marketplace for curated men's streetwear, designer, and grail sneakers. Comparable to Sneaker Con in audience (collector-focused buyers/sellers) and category (premium sneakers and streetwear), serving as an online substitute for the same community.
- Sotheby's (Collectibles & Sneakers): Long-standing auction house that has expanded into collectible sneakers and streetwear auctions. Competes for high-end sneaker collector dollars and rising cultural relevance of sneaker investment-grade collectibles that Sneaker Con's premium events also target.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Sneaker Con social profiles
Digital presenceSneaker Con financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sneaker Con leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Sneaker Con funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sneaker Con M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sneaker Con
What does Sneaker Con do?
Sneaker Con operates large-scale physical sneaker convention events in 30+ cities worldwide, providing a live marketplace where attendees buy, sell, and trade sneakers, streetwear, and collectibles. Events include free on-site authentication, a Cash Out Crew that purchases sneakers directly from attendees, a Trading Pit for peer-to-peer deals, and tiered admission tickets (Early Bird, General Admission, Fast Pass, Priority). Revenue is generated from consumer ticket sales, vendor booth fees, and event sponsorships.
Is Sneaker Con a public or private company?
Sneaker Con is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Sneaker Con founded?
Sneaker Con was founded in 2009. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Sneaker Con based?
Sneaker Con is headquartered in Elmhurst, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sneaker Con make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Event Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are vendor Booth Fees, authentication Services Partnership, sponsorship Revenue and priority Tickets and Premium Experiences.
Who are Sneaker Con's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Flight Club, ComplexCon, StockX, Stadium Goods, Round Two and GOAT. Broad incumbents are eBay and Hypebeast. Emerging players are Grailed and Sotheby's (Collectibles & Sneakers).
Does Sneaker Con have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sneaker Con.