Let’s admit it, we have all been there before.  Palms sweaty and anticipation growing as the seconds tick away to that new sneaker release.  The majority of us have also felt the sting of defeat whether it be site errors loading or our beloved purchase selling out in nanoseconds.  What if we told you that there’s a brand in these e-streets who want to see you win.  Remember our friends over at AstroLab who partnered with us to giveaway a pair of Melody Eshani x Air Jordan 1s for Valentine’s Day?  Well, they have created a solution to some of our sneakHER problems.

ASTROLAB’S TRADEBLOCK IN CLIFF NOTES…

It is very important to CNKDaily to support small businesses, and especially those that take a grassroots approach to connect to our sneaker community.  The sneaker world has always been about speaking through this universal language of  kicks we love. AstroLab’s Tradeblock platform is on a mission to become the sneaker community's #1 trusted source for trade facilitation by providing sneakerheads with a safe platform and simple process for trading their kicks.  While the idea was birthed a decade ago by founding members, the concept is fresh and right on time.

THEY WANT US TO GET OUR SHOES BACK…

Tradeblock is all about doing away with ladies taking L’s and they have a simple, effective way of helping us out. 

TB: Since the beginning of time, way before the almighty dollar existed, people bartered their belongings & services to get what they wanted/needed. Fast forward to today and now lady sneakerheads have a medium, in Tradeblock, that allows them to get their shoes back. 

Well it's not lost on us that most women's releases are scooped up by men who either pound the pavement or have bots. They then turnaround and resell them back to the women for ridiculous prices. Our platform democratizes the game and evens the playing field. Ladies can now leverage the value of their collection and trade for the shoes they really want without paying crazy resell prices.

THE FORCE IS STILL FEMALE.

Astrolab knows that supporting the ladies is a major key.  They also understand the diversity that the female perspective serves in what we call ‘SneakHER Culture”.  While the waves of hypebeast trends and resell market continue to evolve within this niche industry, more and more access to sneakers is still at the forefront of our pain points.

TB: The female's voice/presence is more prevalent than it's ever been. Although the culture is nowhere near where it needs to be in terms of inclusivity, we definitely see the tide turning with really legit designers and artists like Sophia Chang, Vashtie, & Shantell Martin putting their stamp on the game. And of course, Aleali May & Melody Ehsani crush it every time! 

However, the most glaring evolutionary aspect to us, is how widespread sneaker culture has become. What was once a subculture, has now become pretty mainstream. Just the other day, we met someone who knows nothing about sneakers but told us he started purchasing them to "diversify his portfolio". Insane right?!

HOW DOES TRADEBLOCK WORK?

The Tradeblock web app will be rolling out very soon to exclusive members, who will also serve as beta testers.  Once a member, it’s as simple as adding shoes to your virtual closet.  You can also add shoes to your wishlist and start trading your shoes with people who have what you want and want what you have.  Imagine trading and solidifying that win without having to spend extra coins.  Did we mention the app is very user friendly and ALL shoes are authenticated?

TRADEBLOCK NEEDS YOU.

Our friends at Astrolab need your help to make this an awesome experience for the small feet tribe.  They are offering exclusive access to our audience to participate in the Tradeblock beta program.  All you need to do is click on the registration form button below.  They will be reaching out to you directly with next steps.

TB: We believe that brands, ourselves included, should go out of their way to give women platforms to be seen, microphones to be heard and the autonomy to express themselves boldly and freely. We want to hold up a loudspeaker to the super dope and ever-growing sneakHERhead community so that more brands recognize the need (and opportunity) to focus more on their female customers. In doing so, not only does the sneaker culture benefit immensely, but society as a whole. When women win, we all win!

Now you all know we couldn’t end without a raffle.  CNK x Tradeblock will be giving away a digital Nike gift card to two lucky winners that sign up in the beta test program.

Follow more on Tradeblock at Instagram here.