How to Sell Damaged Cycling Shoes

Damaged cycling shoes are still worth selling — typically £5 to £21 at For Parts, against £20 to £85 undamaged.

Can you sell cycling shoes that are damaged?

Yes. Damaged stock has its own buyers: people who repair and restore, people who want the material rather than the object, and people who want a cheaper one and do not mind a flaw. Nobody should be surprised when it arrives.

The damage buyers look for on cycling shoes

These are the flaws that move cycling shoes down the grades, and the ones a buyer will check first:

Failed BOA dials and broken ratchets
Worn cleats needing replacement
Delaminated soles
Very narrow or unusual fittings

Grading it honestly

Fair covers something heavily used, or with a described fault or missing part: around £9 to £38. For Parts covers something not working or incomplete, sold as seen: roughly £5 to £21. Grades are seller-declared and nobody inspects them for you, so grading up does not raise what you get — it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else. All five grades explained.

Working out what you actually have

Establish the flaw properly rather than guessing at it:

State the cleat system: three-bolt, two-bolt or flat
Test every dial, ratchet and strap
Photograph the sole and any cleats

Photographing the flaw

Photograph the damage directly and in focus — it is the evidence that the rest of the description is honest:

The pair side on, standing
Both soles, showing the bolt pattern clearly
The closure system close up
The size marking and any crack, scuff or worn cleat

What to state in the listing

Alongside the flaw itself, buyers of damaged cycling shoes want these confirmed:

Size in EU, with UK equivalent, and insole length
Cleat pattern — two-bolt or three-bolt — and the system name if known
Whether cleats are included and their condition
Sole material, closure type and any crack or wear

Brand, cleat system and size: “Shimano Road Cycling Shoes, 3 Bolt SPD-SL, EU 43”. The bolt pattern is the critical compatibility fact. Say road or mountain, since two-bolt mountain shoes are walkable and three-bolt road shoes are not.

What buyers will ask

Answer these in the listing rather than waiting to be asked:

“Which cleats do they take?”

Photograph the sole plate and say two-bolt or three-bolt. A buyer with the wrong pedals cannot use them at all, so this is the whole compatibility question.

“Are cleats included?”

Say so and describe their wear. Cleats are consumables and a worn set is not much use, but a fresh set is a real saving.

“Is the sole carbon or nylon?”

Say which. Carbon soles are stiffer and worth considerably more, and serious cyclists filter on it.

Is it worth repairing first?

Only where it is cheap and visibly well done — a clumsy repair costs more than the flaw it hides. What lifts the price:

Stiff carbon or composite soles
Recognised cycling brands
Working ratchets, dials and straps
Cleats included and unworn

If the work would cost more than the gap between £21 and what sound ones fetch, sell them as they are damaged and let the buyer decide.

When to list it

Lifts from March to August with the cycling season. Quality road shoes sell within a fortnight in season and slowly in winter.

Getting it to the buyer

Post boxed. Remove the cleats if they are heavily worn and say so, or leave them fitted and describe their condition — either is fine as long as it is stated.

WishThrift does not process payments, arrange delivery or hold funds. Confirm the money has cleared before the item leaves your hands, and keep the conversation on the site so there is a record of what was agreed.

Ready to list them? Free to list, no commission, and neither side pays a buyer-protection fee — create a free account, or read the full cycling shoes selling guide if yours turns out to be sound.

Frequently asked questions

Can you sell damaged cycling shoes?

Yes. Damaged cycling shoes typically are worth £5 to £21 against £20 to £85 undamaged, and there is a real market in repair, restoration and craft stock. Failed BOA dials and broken ratchets

Is it worth repairing first?

Only where the repair is cheap and visibly done well. What buyers pay for is stiff carbon or composite soles — a repair that draws attention to the flaw can leave you worse off.

How should I describe the damage?

Precisely, with a photograph of the flaw itself. Photograph the sole plate and say two-bolt or three-bolt. A buyer with the wrong pedals cannot use them at all, so this is the whole compatibility question. Vague wording is what produces the message asking for a refund.