Andrew Raisman isn’t promising Copdate will guarantee that all sneakerheads are able to buy hard-to-get kicks such as Yeezys and Jordans, but he is certain that using it will make the purchasing process less painful for all parties involved.
Founded by Raisman, Copdate is a mobile app (available from the Apple App Store and Google Play) designed to help sneaker fans get today’s hottest and most sought-after kicks on their feet. The app aims to lessen the headaches created by bots, camping out and unpopular raffles.
“Sneaker releases have taken on ridiculous proportions, between people lining up, re-sellers and bots, and the average consumer faces impossible odds of [buying] any high-demand shoe,” Raisman told Footwear News. “If you download Copdate and subscribe to the partner retailers, they release the shoes via the app, and you can reserve your spot on release date and just show up — your product is reserved for you. You walk in the store, hassle- and headache-free, and walk away.”
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Copdate is already aligned with several renowned boutiques, including Packer Shoes, Atmos, Shoe Gallery and Renarts, and is continuing to add to its portfolio. (Copdate’s newest retail partner is Louisiana-based Sneaker Politics.)
When it comes to how the app beats the bots, much like KFC, Dr. Pepper and Bush’s Baked Beans, Raisman isn’t keen on giving away Copdate’s secret recipe. But he did give FN a little background on how it’s done.
“In order for the process to work, you need a physical mobile device to access the drops. The first line of defense is we validate the fact that the app is talking to a physical mobile device, a piece of hardware,” he said. “We don’t use things that are easily simulated, like phone numbers or email addresses. We use a unique identifier that each device has built into it from the manufacturer. There are parts of the process that only a human being can do.”
Copdate, an idea Raisman said he had while driving on I-95 in Miami, leaving Shoe Gallery, was conceptualized to help consumers. But he explained to FN how the retailer will benefit from using it as well.
“Putting customers through pain, anxiety and uncertainty week after week is not going to last, and putting your staff through it is inefficient,” Raisman said. “Between the phone ringing off the hook, crowds lingering outside and entering raffles, all the time wasted and the logistics involved in handling these drops, now they just use the app and we do all the work for them.”
An update Raisman said is coming soon to the app will put more power in the hands of stores, allowing retailers to determine the geographic parameters of who can buy a sneaker release, to ensure that local sneakerheads have a chance to get the kicks.
“It can be as large as an entire city or state, or as small as a city block. They could set a zone where they want the shoes to drop,” he said.
And although exclusive sneakers may be what the app is used for now, that could change in the future.
“Sneakers are our primary focus, but the platform isn’t strictly limited to shoes,” he said. “Any type of commodity that fits the basic DNA of high-demand product or commodity could be used here. Big picture, this is a way to transform and reshape retail.”
