TikTok takes on eBay with authenticated pre-owned footwear
TikTok is moving into the verified collectible sneaker space in the United States.
Video-focused social media app TikTok is now facilitating the sale of pre-owned footwear authenticated by vetted third parties on its TikTok Shop social commerce platform.
A select group of vetted sellers are approved to list pre-owned footwear on TikTok Shop in the U.S. Featured brands and styles include Adidas Sambas and mid-top Louis Vuitton Nike Air Force 1. All pre-owned sneaker and footwear sellers on TikTok Shop are required to upload a certificate of authenticity (COA) from third-party authenticator: Entrupy, Real Authentication, or Legitmark.
Beyond authenticity, sellers must provide an accurate depiction of condition that is pristine, excellent, very good, or good. Anything that falls below the "good" threshold is not allowed on the platform.
Sellers must also provide accurate product descriptions and detail a number of attributes depending on footwear type, like brand name, size, color, upper and outsole materials, and if the original shoebox is included.
While pre-owned items like sneakers are non-returnable, TikTok shoppers do have recourse if their purchase arrives damaged, defective, or otherwise not as described; or if they suspect a product is counterfeit or inauthentic.
In addition to sneakers, TikTok Shop is also enabling the sale of pre-owned luxury products including pumps, dress shoes, boots, sandals and handbags.
"TikTok Shop is quickly becoming the place for shoppers of all walks of life to discover the best in pre-owned luxury," a TikTok spokesperson said in an email to Chain Store Age.
eBay has footing in collectible sneakers
Sneakers, especially authenticated, pre-owned, collectible pairs, have long big business for eBay. In 2023, the e-tailer began including new and pre-owned children’s sneakers sold for $100 or more from more than 40 leading brands, including Adidas, Nike, New Balance, Off-White, Golden Goose and Converse.
eBay also launched a sneaker authentication service in October 2020. In 2021, eBay acquired the authentication business of Sneaker Con, a sneaker authenticator with operations in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Australia and Germany.
The e-tailer has also teamed up with a number of celebrities in limited-time collectible sneaker promotions, most recently a charity auction with Golden State Warriors pro basketball star Stephen Curry.
Trump extends TikTok deal deadline to June 19
In the latest step in a long-running saga, President Trump recently gave the Chinese owner of TikTok until Thursday, June 19, 2025 to divest its U.S. operations.
The Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, which was signed by President Biden in April 2024 in response to longstanding concerns over ties between TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance and the Chinese Communist Party and risks to U.S. user privacy, makes it unlawful for U.S. companies to distribute, maintain, or update TikTok unless U. S. operation of the Chinese-owned platform is severed from Chinese control.
[READ MORE: Biden signs potential U.S. TikTok ban into law]
ByteDance and TikTok have publicly denied the validity of these concerns. TikTok briefly went dark in the U.S. during the weekend of Jan. 18-19 due to this law, but President Trump temporarily repealed the ban for a review period which initially expired Saturday, April 5, 2025.
Media reports indicate Trump, the U.S. government and the Chinese government have been actively exploring possible business deals that would let TikTok continue operating in the U.S. beyond June 19.
