Most hyped sneakers no longer sell first come first served. Retailers run a raffle, everyone enters in a short window, and the pairs go to names drawn at random. It is fairer than a queue and it kills bots, but it also means the only way to improve your odds is to enter more of them, correctly, before they close. This guide explains how the different raffle types work and what actually moves your chances.
Why retailers use raffles
A limited release might have a few hundred pairs in a shop and tens of thousands of people who want them. A first come first served drop rewards whoever has the fastest connection or the best bot, and it crashes websites. A raffle spreads the same stock over a few days, gives every entry the same chance, and lets the retailer check for duplicate accounts before anyone pays. That is why nearly every boutique and most of the big chains now raffle their most limited pairs and keep first come first served for general releases.
The main types of raffle
Online form raffles. The retailer posts a form, usually on its own site or a launch page, and you enter your size, address and payment details. Entries typically open a few days before the release and close the day before, sometimes only hours before. Winners get an email. Some shops charge your card automatically when you win, others send a payment link with a deadline, so read the confirmation email carefully.
App raffles. Brands and larger retailers run draws inside their own apps. Nike's SNKRS app uses draws with short entry windows, and adidas runs draws, queues and invite-only releases through its CONFIRMED app. These need your profile set up in advance with a valid address and payment method, and you are only charged if you win. Our SNKRS guide covers the Nike side in detail.
Draw platforms. Many boutiques, especially in the US, run their draws through a shared launch platform rather than their own site. You will recognise the same entry screens across different shops. The rules are set by each shop, so the closing time, shipping regions and whether payment is taken up front still vary.
Instagram raffles. Smaller shops still run raffles as an Instagram post: follow the account, like the post, tag a friend and sometimes send a direct message with your size. Winners are announced in a story or by message. These are the easiest to enter and the easiest to fake, so only trust posts from the shop's verified account.
In-store raffles. You register in person, usually with photo ID, and collect the shoes in person if you win. They are local by design and often the least crowded, which makes them worth the trip if the shop is near you.
What decides whether you win
Retailer draws are random. Being first to enter does not help, and neither does entering seconds before it closes. What you can control is how many valid entries you have across different retailers. If a shoe has twelve raffles and you enter one, you have one ticket in one draw. Enter all twelve and you have twelve independent chances. That is the whole game, and it is why Droplist lists every raffle for a release on one page with its opening and closing times, so nothing gets missed.
Valid matters as much as many. Retailers cancel duplicate entries, and the check is stricter than it used to be. One entry per person, per household address and per payment card is the usual rule. Entering twice with a second email address is the quickest way to have both entries removed.
How to enter more raffles without missing any
- Save your details once in each retailer's account or app so entering takes seconds. Raffles with a short window are lost to people still typing an address.
- Check the region. Raffles are tagged by where they ship. A US-only draw will not post to the UK, and some European shops exclude the UK since Brexit because of customs.
- Enter your true size and stick to it. Many shops verify size against previous orders, and a win in the wrong size is a return, not a flip.
- Track what you have entered. In the Droplist app and on this site you can tick each raffle as you enter it, which stops accidental double entries and shows what is still open.
- Turn on alerts. Raffles open at odd hours and some last under a day. The app sends a push notification the moment a new raffle opens for a shoe you follow.
Timing
Raffles usually open two to five days before a release and close the day before, so the shop can draw winners and ship in time for the release date. Draw results tend to arrive on the morning of the release or the evening before. If you have not heard by release day, assume you lost, and look for first come first served stock and restocks instead. Our raffles page shows what is open right now across every upcoming drop.
Scams to avoid
Genuine retailer raffles are free to enter. Anyone asking for a fee to enter, offering to sell a winning entry, or messaging you from an account that is not the shop's own is a scam. Retailers never ask for card details by direct message. If a raffle is only reachable from a link in a comment or a message, go to the shop's website directly and look for it there.
After you win
Pay within the deadline, do not change the shipping address, and expect the shoes on or shortly after the release date. Most retailers treat raffle wins as final sale, though UK and EU consumer law still gives you the right to return an online purchase, so check the shop's returns page if you need to. If you plan to sell the pair, our resale guide explains how to read the market before you list.
