Nicolas Malonga (@SniperKicks32 or @SniperResells) says he made over $3 million flipping sneakers before 30.
Last year alone, he did $650k.
Okay, okay – get that bread, gluten king.
But where’s he finding that kind of margin? And volume?
Is dude raiding Kmarts and Kohl’s for their clodhoppers and then drawing on Jumpmans and swooshes with Sharpies, or what?
Also, why spill your secrets to the whole internet? Won’t that just create more competition?
Better lace up and double-knot them bitches, ’cause I’m about to let loose in this Snipe University review.
How’d we get here?
Nick Malonga was one of the top high school basketball players in Illinois.
He played college ball for three different schools before shredding his knee, along with his NBA dreams.
With no backup plan and a pregnant wife, things were looking dire.
That is, until Nick discovered he could resell kicks online.
He started by lowballing sellers on OfferUp for their used Nikes, cleaning them up, and then relisting them on OfferUp, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace.
It worked – margins were anywhere from 20% to 100% – but it was a grind.
Hours of searching, messaging, and negotiating. Scrubbing each shoe with a toothbrush. Taking an iron to the creases. Nailing the photos.
Naturally, once he had the cash, he switched to buying new sneakers from stores like Finish Line, JD Sports, and Foot Locker – then flipping them on eBay.
Even with lower margins (closer to 20%), it was way easier to scale.
Things were gucci for about a year, until we were told to stay inside, fear the air, and only come out for mystery jabs.
This had Nick’s business on the ropes.
But just before the ref waved it off, The Last Dance dropped.
And boom, we were reminded of how unhinged MJ was – and now we all needed a fresh pair of Jordans, right?
Suddenly, Nick’s phone was lighting up. When the first episode aired, he sold like 100 pairs of Jordan 5 Fire Reds.
Nooice.
From here, Nick scoured YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X to see which kicks had the streets talking.
He copped rare pairs from the Nike SNKRS app and Snipes USA, and snagged bargain deals from Nike outlet stores.
StockX was just popping off, too – so Nicolas used it to predict resale prices before securing a pair.
Nick stores his inventory in the basement: racks on racks of Nikes, all in their designated spot. Jordan 1s here, Jordan 4s there.
Labels, tape, scissors, thermal printers, and thousands of shipping boxes stand by, ready to keep orders flying out the door.
If you wanna grow this thing, systems aren’t optional – they’re everything.
They create happy customers who leave positive reviews, triggering more sales.
What about saturation?
Nick isn’t worried. He points to a Fox Business article predicting the reseller market will hit $30 billion by 2030. The space is exploding, and sneakers aren’t going anywhere.
That said, don’t expect to become a shoe sniper today and make thousands of dollars by tomorrow.
It’s a journey, aight?
If Nick could do it all over again, he’d focus on social media marketing from day one. More content, more connections, more conversions. Simple.
No need to make the same mistakes he did – here’s how he can help:
- Sniper Nation: a free Skool group where you’ll learn how to source, sell, and scale your sneaker reselling business.
- SnipeGang Weekly ($11.99/week), Monthly ($39.99/month), or Quarterly ($99.99/quarter): get insider sneaker info, lowkey flips, exclusive discounts, and community support.
- Snipe University Membership ($497/year): Master sneaker reselling with expert guidance, exclusive alerts, in-depth courses, weekly calls, and private Discord access for networking and troubleshooting.
Nicolas is a G.
He walks his talk and his offers are solid.
But I don’t wanna hunt down size 11 Travis Scott Medium Olive Jordan 1s, stash them in my garage, market them, haggle on price, let GOAT eat half my markup, ship them out – and then repeat hundreds of times a month to make a living.
Yeah… no thanks.
Q&A
Q: Do I need a ton of sneaker knowledge to start?
A: Nope. You don’t need to know what year the Bred 11s dropped or why grown me tear up when they see a clean pair of Concords. If you can tell sneakers from those five finger shoes CrossFitters swear by, you’re good.
Q: Any experience yourself reselling sneakers?
A: Nah. I’m more of the “wear them gently, then give ’em to someone who needs them” type. Shoes aren’t a business to me – they’re for function, style, and most importantly, hiding my toes. I’m serious, you guys. When I die, they’ll be like, “Thank God your fucked-up toes died with you.”
Q: I take it you’re a slides-not-flip-flops kinda guy?
A: You know it. Adidas slides, a size too big, heels all the way back like I’m smuggling yayo under there. If the public ever saw these toes, they’d assume I live under a bridge and eat soup with my bare hands.
Q: But still not as bad as LeBron’s, right?
A: Not even close. Bro, Bron’s big toe looks like it’s playing hide-and-seek from the rest of his foot. Meanwhile, that pinky toe just released a statement: “I am no longer part of this foot. I walk alone.”
Q: For real! How’s he run on them things?
A: Each step’s a miracle of physics and spite. And yet, this man out here dropping 27, 10, and 8 while you tore your rotator cuff reaching for a Cool Ranch Dorito that fell between the couch cushions.
Q: Let’s move on.
A: Happy to.
Q: Is Nick married? Kids?
A: Yep, his wife, Ari, is a total queen, and they’ve got two little boys. I’m sure they’ll be flipping sneakers on Mars by the time they’re Nick’s age.
Q: You really think people will be traveling to Mars?
A: Hell, I’d be happy with pothole-free roads and a carton of eggs that doesn’t cost $9. But sure, let’s shoot for Mars. Who knows, maybe Elon and Ye will collab on some low-gravity Yeezys.
Q: Nicolas got that white guy voice, huh?
A: My man sounds like he collects stamps and knows a lot about butterflies. Voice got a 401(k) and a favorite casserole. Makes Ned Flanders look like Suge Knight. Bro would definitely press charges, sounding like that.
Q: Nicolas Malonga net worth?
A: If he’s really doing $650k a year flipping leather and laces with 20% margins, that’s $130k take-home – not bad, especially compared to rotting in a cubicle for half that. But the real money comes from Nick’s education business. Wouldn’t be surprised if he was pulling in multiple six figures from that alone. So while your guess is as good as mine, I’m sure he’s a millionaire by now.
Q: Can sneaker reselling make me rich, or is it just side money?
A: Most people are making gas money. A few are making car payment money. But unless you’re running a real operation with bots, bulk deals, and maybe even a warehouse, you probably won’t be buying a new crib off reselling Kobes.
Q: Is sneaker reselling still worth it in 2025, or is it cooked?
A: It’s far from dead, but it’s not 2018 either. Margins are thinner, tech’s taking over, and sneaker companies are cracking down on resellers like mall cops on teens. You’re late to the shindig, but Nicolas saved you a plate because everybody eats at Snipe University.
Q: I guess you could say the same for just about every business model, couldn’t you?
A: Exactly. Everyone has access to the same tools, same AI, same YouTube gurus, same playbook. And everything can be bootstrapped. So competition’s up, margins are down, and no matter what you do, it feels like a race to zero. Whatever. Swallow your feelings in pill form, open another Chrome tab, and pretend you’re building something.
Q: How much time per day does sneaker reselling really take?
A: If it’s just a casual side hustle, maybe an hour or two scrolling apps, entering raffles, and flipping a few pairs. If you wanna build a six-figure resell biz like Nicolas? Plan on 6-8 hours minimum: sourcing, posting, packing, shipping, tracking drops, and fending off deadbeats who couldn’t even afford a pair of Anthony Edwards 1 Lows – available in every size at Dick’s.
Q: Do sneaker prices always go up, or do they crash too?
A: It’s more volatile than you might think. Some pairs skyrocket, some tank, and some sit around like skunky beer. But yeah, anything can crash. Stocks, bonds, crypto, cars, real estate, your Pokémon card collection, and especially your girlfriend’s side dude’s Bored Ape. But hey, at least Pikachu didn’t cheat on you.
Q: What makes sneaker prices go up or down?
A: A mix of promotion, supply, and whether the economy is circling the drain or Uncle Sam is mailing out stimmys again. LeBron laces up a pair, and suddenly, it’s worth double. Bots and cook groups can pump prices artificially, but a poorly timed restock can turbo-dump the market overnight. New releases can kill demand for older pairs, forcing resellers to liquidate. If something’s super limited, the value usually holds – unless Nike decides to print them like Monopoly money. If you’re trying to predict what’ll moon, think like a stock trader but without overcomplicating the obvious – limited Kobes are basically free money.
Q: Is it even legal to resell shoes?
A: It’s a gray area. Many sneaker companies, like Nike, have terms that basically say, “Yeah, asshole, don’t buy our shit just to resell ’em.” If they catch you doing it enough times, you could get banned from buying direct. But legally? As long as you’re not pushing fakes, you’re probably not gonna end up behind bars.
Q: So worst case, Nike says no mas and I’m stuck shopping at Foot Locker?
A: Exactly. You’ll be standing in line behind a kid named Jaxon who’s about to buy some Simpsons Crocs with mommy’s Apple Pay. Jaxon’s never flipped a sneaker in his life – and never will – because his dad owns three Jersey Mike’s and thinks reselling is “for the poors.”
Q: Who is sneaker reselling not for?
A: If you have zero patience, no startup cash, or think every shoe drop is a spiritual experience, this ain’t for you. Same goes if you get too emotionally attached – because sooner or later you’ll hafta sell a pair you love. If that’s you, maybe just stick to buying kicks for everyday use instead of trying to fund your lifestyle.
Q: Most common rookie mistake?
A: Maxing out your credit card on hype shoes because some 15-year-old on YouTube said they were a “sure hold.” Next thing you know, you’re telling your landlord you can’t pay rent because all your money’s tied up in deadstock New Balances nobody wants.
Q: Does anyone ever want New Balances?
A: Preach! They’re the footwear equivalent of a colonoscopy reminder. Orthopedic shame with laces. What you slip your mangled hooves into when you no longer have dreams or a jawline. The Toyota Prius of sneakers. For Docker-wearing dads who overcook burgers and lose at cornhole at their own BBQ. If New Balances were a sex position, they’d be missionary – but only on your birthday.
Q: What’s the most overrated part of sneaker reselling?
A: How passive it is. Sneaker bros want you to believe you’ll just lay back and watch the cash roll in. Wrong. You’re stalking releases, signing up for raffles, negotiating, watching market trends, sniffing out scammers, dealing with returns, and arguing with some loser on OfferUp who thinks $40 is a fair price for Jordan 12 Retro Flu Games.
Q: What’s the biggest headache in sneaker reselling?
A: Limited stock, brutal competition, and platforms chomping away at your profits with fees. But the real fight isn’t just against other resellers – it’s against AI-driven bots, pricing algorithms, and predictive models that see trends before you do. If you’re not adapting, you’re getting squeezed, homie.
Q: So I’ll definitely need a bot?
A: Only if you wanna stand a chance against Pablo from Discord, who just scooped 300 pairs in under a second.
Q: Can you elaborate? How do I get exclusive drops before they sell out?
A: Bots, backdoor deals, or dumb luck. If you’re entering raffles manually and expecting Ws, you’re adorable. The real Gs – like Nicolas – have sneaker plugs, automation, or enough money to secure bulk buys.
Q: Cool, lemme lay down so you can back over my dream with a UPS truck. Anything else that sucks?
A: Yeah: throwing up an airball. You thought that pair was gonna go crazy, but now it’s collecting dust while your cash flow flatlines. Plus, you’ve got lowballers, returns, scammers, and platforms treating you like a red-headed stepchild they forgot to pick up from school.
Q: Can’t sneaker reselling lead to other opportunities though?
A: Absolutely. If you’re good at sourcing, marketing, and customer service, you can always pivot into brand building, ecommerce, consulting, even wholesaling. Some sneakerheads end up running legit multi-million-dollar businesses. That is, once they stop fighting 14-year-olds for Panda Dunks.
Q: I don’t get why Panda Dunks are such a big deal.
A: Me either. Like, ooh, white and black? On a low-top Nike? What’s next, a long-lost sibling? Yet somehow, the resale market acts like they’re dipped in moon dust and sealed with Steph Curry’s sweat.
Q: How do I know if a shoe is fake?
A: If SneakerPapi from Reddit sputters up in a Nissan with a cracked windshield and hands you a pair of Nikes in a Walmart sack… and the swooshes look like they had a seizure mid-stitch? Bruh. Them Nikeys not Nikes.
Q: What if he says they’re “factory extras”?
A: What he meant was, “These fell off the back of a donkey cart and the Air Max logo was designed in Microsoft Paint.” Now toss him his crusty knockoffs and dip before he pulls a gun over $38.
Q: What’s the best sneaker to flip?
A: The market moves fast – one week it’s Dunks, the next it’s Yeezys, then suddenly people are fighting over Crocs. You gotta stay plugged into sneaker forums, reseller Discords, and StockX trends.
Q: What’s the worst sneaker to flip?
A: Anything you impulse buy just because you thought it was dope. If the hype isn’t there, neither is the resale value. Congratulations, you played yourself.
Q: What’s a dead giveaway that a shoe won’t resell?
A: If it’s available on Nike.com two days after it came out, that’s the reddest of flags. If StockX sales look flatter than grandpappy’s EKG, also not good. And if a sneaker forum calls it a “brick,” that’s code for “hold this L.”
Q: Something you’re all too familiar with, huh? Taking Ls?
A: Means a lot coming from someone who’s about a buck-fifty – but only when you’re wet and wearing boots.
Q: What’s the best site to resell sneakers?
A: If you’re in a big enough city, try Facebook Marketplace or OfferUp – since there’s no fees and you can get paid in cash. Although, you might have to meet some dude in a Chick-fil-A parking lot at 10 p.m. Otherwise, there’s StockX, GOAT, and eBay, but prepare to get nickel-and-dimed with fees and fine print.
Q: Snipe University alternative?
A: I got you. Instead of playing middleman in a high-stakes game of Who Wants to Overpay for Jordans Today™, build a portfolio of simple websites that small businesses rent from you for leads. Here’s what I mean.