Nike Update SNKRS Pass to Raffle System in Attempt to Combat Bots
Just days after , have announced a to how they conduct releases on their temperamental SNKRS app, replacing the first come, first served methodology of their SNKRS Pass system to a raffle style. The Swoosh believe this is a more effective way to prevent the bot entries that have become an increasingly prevalent problem with sneaker releases.
The SNKRS Pass is a Nike Member Reward granted to select users of the SNKRS app, which previously was a reservation system that enabled members to secure a pair of shoes in a given size at a selected Nike retail store. However, this system still hinged on users being on the SNKRS app as the reservation window opened, which made it exploitable by bots to instantly secure pairs. This became a regular occurrence with just about every high-profile release on the app since the SNKRS Pass feature was rolled out in 2018.
To circumvent this issue and filter out potential bot entries, Nike are switching the SNKRS Pass to the ‘Draw’, ie a raffle system. Users will still be able to make reservations as before, but the window to do so is now longer, and once it closes, the entries will be drawn at random. Nike also mention integrating ‘bot-filtration tools’ to ensure a fairer process, but they don’t specify specific methods.
The SNKRS Pass update is currently rolling out across the SNKRS app, so sneakerheads need to ensure the latest version is downloaded.