Image via Illustrator Jazz Alba
It’s an exciting time for Canadian streetwear. In addition to a slew of designers putting the country’s creativity on the world stage, we’ve opened up after two years of restrictions and physical retail is kicking back into gear. And just in time, because the sneaker resale market happens to be booming here right now.
But where should you cop or flip on the secondary sneaker market in the Great White North? The number of options out there can be intimidating. It’s easy to get a terrible deal, get burnt with fakes, or pay an exorbitant amount for a pair that’s actually way more obtainable than you thought. So we’ve done the research for you.
Whether you’re a buyer or a seller, looking to cop something new or vintage, or you just want to avoid the costly import fees from purchasing across the border, we’ve got you covered. Here’s our list of the 25 best sneaker resale stores and sites in Canada.
Oak Shop
Location: Ottawa, Ontario; Montreal and Laval, Quebec
Website: oakshop.ca
Co-founded by Franco Benalia and Andrew Rusnac in 2019, One Of A Kind (OAK) was launched with the idea to make the sneaker industry more accessible to folks in Quebec. OAK Shop has since expanded to Ottawa, and dubs itself as the “Biggest Sneaker Store in Canada’’—as evident through a YouTube clip that features the interior of one of their locations. They carry a collection of sneakers from companies like adidas and Nike. However, their latest drop is headlined by a pair of exclusive collabs including the Nike X Off White Dunk Lot 01 and Nike X Off White Dunk Lot 47.
Parlor23
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Website: parlor23.com
Situated on Toronto’s Danforth Avenue, Parlor23 is known as one of the city’s main providers of rare and collectible sneakers. Making an effort to stock pieces that are hard to come by from brands including Nike, Bape, and New Balance, they’re especially interested in deadstock. In terms of specifics when it comes to reselling, Parlor23 keeps 20 per cent of the sale. And, with a barber and tattoo studio also on the premises, you might find yourself leaving with more than just a pair of new shoes.
Plus
Locations: Toronto and Ottawa, Ontario; Vancouver, British Columbia; Calgary, Alberta
Website: plusshop.ca
Launched in 2017, Plus has quickly grown from Vancouver to Toronto. With five locations in Toronto, one in Vancouver, and another in Calgary, Plus is home to everything from Pokemon cards to Yeezy slides. The streetwear retailer’s newest location at the CF Toronto Eaton Centre opened in October but is temporarily closed until the spring. Plus’ latest arrivals include an exclusive Travis Scott Astroworld hoodie, Jordan 5 Retro Jade Horizon, and a Yeezy 450 Cinder.
EastCoast Kicks
Location: Dartmouth, Nova Scotia
Website: eastcoastkicks.ca
EastCoast Kicks has been supplying sneakerheads on Canada’s Atlantic coast since 2017. When John Connors turned his hobby into a storefront, he opened in a small building—in a slightly remote location—north of Halifax. While he’s stayed in the same building, Connors has since expanded space three times to accommodate his growing business. EastCoast Kicks also sells modern sneakers, such as the Kobe 10 Elite, and timeless classics like the Jordan 1 Low Bred colourway. Their latest release includes a plethora of high and low-cut Jordan 1s and the Nike Space Hippie Obsidian.
Out This World
Locations: Montreal, Quebec; Toronto, Scarborough, and Brampton, Ontario
Website: otwshop.ca
With locations in Montreal, Toronto, Scarborough, and Brampton, Out This World specializes in Jordan, Nike, and adidas sneakers. On its website, the brand promises high payouts, streamlined transactions, and quick turnarounds. For those looking to buy, Out This World also offers a membership program, giving exclusive access to regular drops.
OD Toronto
Hotbox
Curated Van
Location: Online
Website: curatedvan.ca
What started as a passion project as a kid from Port Moody, British Columbia quickly turned into a flourishing business for Tye Engmann, the owner of Curated Van. Engmann launched his sneaker reselling business while in high school in 2016, and developed a knack for sourcing rare kicks for A-list celebrities including Lil Yachty, Kevin Hart, and Devin Booker. He has aspirations to open a physical store one day, however, he currently has a website and Instagram account to market his attire online.
StockX
Location: Online
Website: stockx.com
Ahead of StockX opening its first authentication centre in Toronto, we got the details on the online reselling platform’s expansion to Canada. Now that it’s here and up and running, it’s one of the most established places for both buying and selling deadstock sneakers. As well as promoting interactions that are more local to Canada, its authentication is rigorous, making full use of a team of global experts to check a product’s condition, construction, packaging, and quality.
eBay
Location: Online
Website: ebay.ca
eBay is another company that recently rolled out its Authenticity Guarantee to the Canadian market. Last May, it launched Canada’s first authentication centre in Toronto with a promise to embed a tag with NFC chip technology to guarantee authenticity. At the time of writing, resellers on eBay.ca are offering everything from the Jordan 6 Retro Gatorade Like Mike to the Nike Air Yeezy 2 Red October.
Centrall
Kenshi
Nxtdrop
From Another
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Website: fromanother.ca
Known as Edmonton’s spot for vintage streetwear and sneakers, From Another stocks clothing, sneakers, and accessories. At the time of writing, its new arrivals include the Jordan 1 High University Blue, vintage Carhartt pants, and a vintage McDonald’s varsity jacket.
Vintage Meets Hype
Premier Hype
Rerun
Location: Toronto, Ontario
Website: rerunto.com
Nestled in Toronto’s Kensington Market, Rerun is a consignment sneaker shop that also sells streetwear from high-end companies including Supreme, Bape, and Off-White. Liam Cassidy, a Ryerson business student who’s collected sneakers since the age of 14, launched Rerun in 2016. After expanding the business to sell apparel and clothes, he sold the business in 2017 to focus on his studies, and the store has continued to flourish. Rerun’s latest drop includes a Supreme X Stone Island corduroy jacket and a pair of Jordan 1 University high tops.
Steel City Sole
Backdoor
Location: Woodbridge, Ontario
Website: shopbackdoor.ca
Backdoor specializes in buying, selling, and trading authentic sneakers in a suburb northwest of Toronto. For six years, Backdoor supported the growth of other shoe businesses around Toronto, but finally opened their own storefront in 2021. The sneaker resellers have racked up a loyal following—primarily due to favourable customer service, and a leniency towards customers trying on certain exclusive sneakers before buying them. Backdoor’s featured kicks include the Nike Sacai Clot Waffle Kiss of Death 2, and Jordan 1 Union Los Angeles Blue Toe. Their latest arrivals are headlined by the Nike Sacai Vapor Waffle Villian Red Neptune Green.
Nateslocker
Location: Regina, Saskatchewan
Website: nateslocker.ca
As teenagers, Nate and Becca, founders of Nateslocker, fell in love with all-nighters waiting for shoe releases, and the scent of leather and glue from an unopened box of crisp sneakers. As the two got older, they also fell for each other, and got married after Nate sold his personal collection of sneakers to pay for their wedding. However, they never forgot the hustle and resell market, and decided to re-enter the business after their marriage, opening a brick-and-mortar and consignment store for sneakerheads in downtown Regina. Their online collection features the Jordan 1 “Banned,” Bape Dame 4 Green, and Asics Gel Lyte X Sean Wotherspoon X Atmos.
Netmagnetism
NFS x Heat Vault
Location: Vancouver, British Columbia
Website: nfsofficialshop.ca
A staple in Vancouver’s sneaker community, Heat Vault got its bearings on the West Coast through a single brick-and-mortar location in the city’s Gastown neighbourhood, selling and consigning shoes. Meanwhile, NFS has made a name for itself in the city providing customers with the latest Supreme box-letter sweaters. It wasn’t until 2017 when NFS and Heat Vault collaborated on a pop-up Supreme shop that they decided to join forces and bring the best of sneakers and streetwear to West Coast fashion enthusiasts. Last fall, the two opened a joint storefront, which includes Heat Vault’s popular “keymaster” machine—a $5 arcade-inspired game that gives customers the chance to win retro Jordans or Supreme shirts through pushing a key through a hole.
Stay Fresh
Location: Richmond and Burnaby, British Columbia
Website: stayfresh.ca
Since 2014, marketplace boutique Stay Fresh has been providing B.C. dwellers with premium and collector sneakers, streetwear, and accessories. With a location in Richmond and another in Burnaby, they offer a variety of brands from Yeezy to Bape.