Sell Your Used Trainers — 0% Fees

Used trainers typically sell for £18 to £100, and on WishThrift it costs you nothing to list — no fee, no commission, so you keep the whole amount you agree. Trainers sell on model and sole condition, so photograph the soles first — buyers judge remaining life from the tread and heel before they look at anything else.

The short version

Typical range: £18 – £100 — see the full trainers value guide
What decides your price: condition, and how well you evidence it in photographs
Cost to sell here: nothing, at any price
Category: Shoes & Footwear

Before you photograph it

Ten minutes here is worth more than anything else you will do. Buyers are deciding between your listing and someone else’s, and preparation is what visibly separates the two.

Clean the uppers, midsoles and laces properly. Cleaning pays better on trainers than almost any other garment.
Photograph the size tag inside the tongue and note whether it is UK, US or EU sizing.
Check the midsole for yellowing and creasing, and the outsole for uneven heel wear.

The photographs that sell trainers

Four photographs do almost all the work. Shoot in daylight, near a window, with the item against something plain — and do not use the flash, which flattens texture and hides exactly what buyers are trying to see.

Both trainers side on, laces tied, plain background
The soles side by side, showing tread and heel wear
The size tag inside the tongue, legible
Any crease, scuff, yellowing or sole separation

Photograph the flaws too. It feels counterproductive, but a listing that shows the worst of an item gets fewer questions, fewer withdrawn offers and fewer arguments at handover. Buyers who can see the damage stop imagining something worse.

Writing the title and description

Brand, model, colourway and size: “Adidas Samba OG, Core Black, UK 8”. Colourway names are searched directly by name, so use the official one if you know it. Always state the sizing system — UK, US and EU confusion is the commonest cause of a returned pair.

Then state these in the description, because a buyer who has to ask is a buyer who might not bother:

Brand, exact model and official colourway name
Size with the sizing system stated
Sole and midsole condition, including yellowing and creasing
Whether the original box, spare laces or receipt are included

What buyers will actually ask

You will receive the same three messages about trainers. Answering them in the listing itself removes the back-and-forth, and answering them well when they do arrive is what turns an enquiry into a sale.

“What size are they in UK sizing?”

Convert and state both if you can, and mention if the model runs large or small. This single answer prevents most trainer disputes.

“How worn are the soles?”

Photograph both soles flat. Buyers judge remaining life from the tread, and a clear picture answers it better than any description.

“Do you have the box?”

Say either way. Original boxes add value on collectable models and make postage safer on all of them.

Pricing it so it actually sells

Start from the honest condition grade rather than the price you hope for. WishThrift listings use five grades — New with Tags, Like New, Good, Fair and For Parts — and what each grade means is worth reading before you choose, because grading up is the most expensive mistake sellers make. It does not raise the price; it produces a buyer who arrives expecting something else.

The trainers value guide prices all five grades for this item. Pick your grade, take the figure, and if you sit between two grades price toward the lower one. Items priced honestly sell faster than items priced hopefully, and on a free platform there is no fee eating the difference anyway.

What you keep, compared

On a £59 sale — roughly the middle of the range for trainers — here is what the commission-charging platforms would take, and what you would keep on each:

Where you sell it	Fee	You keep
WishThrift	£0	£59
Poshmark	−£12	£47
eBay	−£8	£51
Mercari	−£6	£53
Etsy	−£4	£55

Seller-side rates verified 26 Jul 2026 — Poshmark: 20% commission on sales of $15 and above; eBay: 13.6% final value fee, plus a per-order fee; Mercari: flat 10% selling fee; Etsy: 6.5% transaction fee, plus a listing fee and payment processing. Percentages are applied to the sterling figure above; the fixed per-order and processing charges those platforms add are quoted in their own currency and are not included here, so the real deductions are slightly larger. Full breakdown: marketplace selling fees compared.

Timing and getting it to the buyer

Steady year round with a Christmas lift. Popular models in common sizes sell within days; unusual sizes take longer but attract determined buyers.

Cheap and easy to post. Use the original box inside a mailing bag, and stuff the toes so they keep their shape.

WishThrift does not process payments or arrange delivery — you and the buyer agree both directly — so confirm payment 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 it? It takes about two minutes, costs nothing, and there is no commission when it sells — create a free account or see how selling works.

Frequently asked questions

What are used trainers worth?

Typically £18 to £100, with sought-after models and limited releases far above. Condition and model desirability drive it. See the trainers value guide.

Should I clean trainers before selling?

Yes, always. A proper clean of the uppers, midsoles and laces can add a noticeable amount to the final price for about half an hour of work, and it makes the photographs far better.

Does WishThrift check trainers are genuine?

No. WishThrift does not authenticate or inspect items. Photograph the size tag, insole branding, stitching and box label clearly so buyers can judge for themselves, and describe honestly where the pair came from.