Sneaker Glossary

Welcome to the MTHOR sneaker glossary! DS, OG, Colorway, Raffle, Legit Check… the sneaker world has a vocabulary of its own, inherited from forums, resell groups and streetwear culture. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned sneakerhead, this glossary brings together more than 65 definitions to help you understand and speak the sneaker language like an expert.

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3DS (3D Secure)

A bank card feature that protects the cardholder by sending a confirmation request (usually by SMS) before validating an online purchase.

B

BIN (Buy It Now)

“Buy it now at this price.” Mainly used in community forums and groups.

BOT

A BOT is a robot: an automated script or program that, when properly set up, helps a human cop sneakers more easily during limited releases.

BTW (By The Way)

Used to add a remark in passing.

BUMP (Bring Up My Post)

Commenting on a post to push it back to the top of the feed (often shortened to “B”).

C

Camp Out

Camping outside a store while waiting for the release of a highly coveted pair. This practice has almost disappeared: releases now mostly happen through raffles.

Consortium

A limited Adidas account that allows certain stores to receive limited pairs.

COP

Derived from the slang “cop”, meaning to grab a pair. In everyday language: to buy a pair (e.g. “I copped” for “I bought”).

COP or DROP?

A question usually asked around a sneaker release: do you intend to buy the pair (COP) or pass on it (DROP)?

CW (Colorway)

The color scheme of a pair.

D

Deadstock (DS)

Indicates that a pair of sneakers has never been worn.

Double Box

Using a shipping carton to protect the shoe box during transit.

DSWT (Deadstock With Tags)

A brand-new pair (never worn) with the tags still attached.

E

Easy Pass

The potential buyer declines the offer, the asking price being too high compared to what they are willing to pay.

Event

A sneaker convention.

F

Fake, Fufu, Fugazi

A counterfeit.

FCFS (First Come First Served)

First come, first served.

Flaker

Someone who backs out at the last minute during a purchase or sale, even though both parties had agreed on the terms.

Forwarder

A service used to receive goods and reship them to the final delivery address. Useful when a shop does not deliver to the buyer's country.

Friends & Family (F&F)

Refers to a release reserved for friends and family, especially during a collaboration between a sneaker brand and a retailer.

G

General Release (GR)

Used when a sneaker release is scheduled across multiple retailers (national chains such as Foot Locker, JD Sports…).

Grade School (GS)

Kids' sizing (generally between 3.5 and 7 US). Not to be confused with “Girl Size”.

H

Hook-up

Buying a pair for a third party who did not get the chance to secure it themselves.

HS (HyperStrike)

An even more limited release than QS (QuickStrike).

I

IMO / IMHO (In My Humble Opinion)

“In my (humble) opinion.”

IP Address

A unique numerical label identifying a device connected to a network using the IP (Internet Protocol). IP addresses are used to route data across the Internet and are written as a series of numbers separated by dots, e.g. “192.168.0.1”. There are two main versions: IPv4 and IPv6.

L

L (Loss)

With limited releases, taking an L is not uncommon. The letter L stands for Loss: the person did not manage to buy the pair they wanted.

Last Pick Up (LPU)

Latest acquisition(s), most recent sneaker purchase.

Legit

Trustworthy, authentic. Usually used around a purchase: the buyer asks whether the seller is “legit”.

Legit Check (L/C)

Asking the members of a group whether a pair offered for sale is authentic.

LF (Looking For)

“Looking for…”

M

Meet-up

A meeting between buyer and seller. When buying a pair, some buyers prefer meeting in person to make sure the product is as described.

N

Never Worn

A pair or garment that has never been worn.

NikeLab

A Nike tier (limited-edition stores). Also refers to Nike's 7 flagship stores: Tokyo, Shanghai, Paris, London, Milan, New York and Hong Kong.

O

OG (Original)

Refers to the first edition of a sneaker release (e.g. the Nike Air Max 1 OG, first released in 1987).

Outlet Factory

Factory outlet store.

P

PADS (Pass As DS)

A lightly worn, almost new model that could pass as Deadstock.

PP (PayPal)

A secure online payment method.

PP Ready

Ready to pay via your PayPal account: only one step left to complete the purchase.

PS (Pre-School)

Pre-school sizing.

Q

QS (QuickStrike)

An account granted by Nike to selected stores, allowing them to receive limited pairs.

R

Raffle

A draw organized for limited-quantity releases. A raffle is not a giveaway: it gives you a chance to buy a sought-after pair.

Release Date / Drop

The date a pair is released.

Resell / Reseller

Resell means selling a product on at a profit. A reseller makes a living from reselling.

Retail

Store price (official selling price).

Retro

Re-releasing models or colorways that have already come out.

Rock

Wearing a pair. “Rock your pair”, “Rock don't Stock”: enjoy your pair instead of storing it forever.

S

Sample

A sample pair made before the official release.

Scammer

A malicious buyer or seller whose only goal is to rip people off.

Shipping

The dispatch of an order.

Size Swap

Exchanging a pair in the wrong size for the same pair in your size.

SKU

The identification code of a pair of sneakers or a product.

Sneakers Enthusiast

Someone interested in current trends on the sneaker scene.

Sneakerhead

Someone with a fairly substantial sneaker collection.

Sole Swap

During a sneaker restoration, replacing an old sole with a new one.

Swoosh

Nickname of the American brand Nike, after its logo.

T

TD (Toddler)

Toddler sizing.

Trade

Exchanging your pair of sneakers for any other pair or something else.

TTS (True To Size)

Indicates that a pair fits true to size: take your usual size.

U

UNDS (UnDeadstock)

Wearing a brand-new pair for the first time.

V

VNDS (Very Near Deadstock)

Close to DS (Deadstock) condition.

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

A system that secures and privatizes your Internet connection by creating an encrypted tunnel between your device and a remote server. VPNs are often used to access sites blocked in certain regions, protect privacy on public networks or bypass restrictions — handy during online drops.

W

W (Win)

A win! Used for a positive outcome, e.g. winning a raffle.

Worn

A pair that has already been worn.

Worn Out

A model in poor condition.

WTB (Want To Buy)

Used to express the intention to buy a pair.

WTS (Want To Sell)

Used to express the intention to sell a pair.

WTT (Want To Trade)

Used to express the intention to trade a pair.

Going further

Now that you speak the sneaker language, discover our pairs authenticated by our team of experts: check out our authentication process. Worldwide delivery in 2 to 8 days, pay in 4 interest-free instalments.