When I was five years old, I firmly believed that the sneakers I wore on my feet made me run fast. Without them, I was average. With them, I felt like I was skimming over the ground. I was special.
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Years later, I realized I wasn’t the only one who felt that way—and I’m still not. While sneaker consumers eventually realize that shoes don’t equal speed, many people still search for limited-edition sneakers to boost their style or specialty shoes for sports like running and basketball.
In fact, the sneaker industry is booming, mostly thanks to Kanye’s hard-to-find Yeezys. The sneaker industry is projected to reach more than $95 billion in 2025, which will nearly double its 2016 value of $55 billion. With this type of growth, there’s plenty of room for affiliate marketers to grab a spot.
Sneakers can even be flipped, and some sneaker reselling sites even have affiliate programs you can use, so you can make money on the reseller market as well. Read on to find out about the top ten sneakers affiliate programs and how they can impact your affiliate marketing efforts. The right sneaker affiliate program could be a good fit for the right type of fashion blog, so don’t sleep on theses opportunities!
Sneakers Affiliate Programs
- KickUSA/Snipes
- Puma
- Finish Line
- Foot Locker
- DTLR/Villa
- Sneakerworld
- Indestructible Shoes
- Nike
- Adidas
- Footwear Unlimited
1. KickUSA/Snipes
- URL: KickUSA/Snipes Affiliate Program
- Commission: Unlisted
- Cookie: Unknown
KickUSA is a footwear and apparel company that was founded in 2002 and now has more than 60 locations in Maryland, New Jersey, New York City, and Philadelphia. The company was acquired by Snipes, which offers similar footwear and streetwear in Europe.
KickUSA carries items like sweatshirts, sandals, tee shirts, jackets, and pants as well as sneakers. The sneakers are on the high-end. Brands include names such as Nike, Adidas, Converse, Reebok, Jordan, Vans, and New Balance.
Why You Should Promote KickUSA: The merger with Snipes could mean more exposure in European countries for KickUSA products, and this could result in higher affiliate sales. KickUSA also has free shipping for orders of $125 or more.
2. Puma
- URL: Puma Affiliate Program
- Commission: Unlisted
- Cookie: 14 days
Another well-known brand in the sneaker industry is Puma, a German company that has been making footwear since 1948. It is one of the world’s leading sports brands. In 2020 alone, they made 5.23 billion euro sales.
Their affiliate program is managed by Pepperjam. They have a very competitive, incentive-based commission structure so the more sales you generate, the higher your commission. Affiliates will have access to easy-to-use tracking and reporting tools and frequent affiliate-exclusive offers. The cookie duration is set at 14 days.
Why You Should Promote Puma: It’s easier to promote because it’s one of the leading sneaker brands worldwide. Affiliates are given access to special sales, promotions, and exclusive deals.
3. Finish Line
- URL: Finish Line Affiliate Program
- Commission: Unlisted
- Cookie: Unknown
Finish Line is a retail store for athletic gear, including sneakers from Nike, Jordan, Adidas, and Under Armour for men, women, and children. Customers can shop by the brand as well as size and gender. There’s also a sales tab showing items that are marked down as much as 40%.
This company has a loyalty rewards program called Winner’s Circle. Every year, members who earn 200 points with their purchases get $20 back. Winner’s Circle members also get early access to sales, special rewards and prizes, and access to exclusive events.
Finish Line offers free shipping for all U.S. purchases of 30 or more and a flat-rate $7 shipping fee for sales items. Returns are free within 45 days for unworn shoes.
Finish Line’s affiliate program is administered by Rakuten LinkShare.
Why You Should Promote Finish Line: Winner’s Circle, the free shipping and free returns, and the sales page could be big draws for some shoppers. From an affiliate’s perspective, the Finish Line affiliate program was a Rakuten LinkShare Golden Link Finalist for Best New Publisher and Publisher’s Choice.
4. Foot Locker
- URL: Foot Locker Affiliate Program
- Commission: Unlisted
- Cookie: Unknown
Foot Locker sells sneakers for men, women, and children. This company also carries athletic clothing such as hoodies, sweatshirts, pants, leggings, tee shirts, shorts, and team apparel. There are some accessories, too, including socks, backpacks, and hats.
The store carries around 14 top brands of athletic shoes. Customers can shop for a particular type of sneaker, such as running shoes or shoes for basketball. Foot Locker offers free shipping for regular-priced items over $20 and orders of $75 or more. There’s also a Fit Guarantee, which means items that don’t fit right can be exchanged or returned for free.
Why You Should Promote Foot Locker: This company has a wide range of athletic gear and sneakers, and the Fit Guarantee is nice, too. However, it’s difficult to know what you could make as an affiliate marketer without first signing up because the commission rate and cookie length aren’t shared on the affiliate sign-up page.
5. DTLR/Villa
- URL: DTLR/Villa Affiliate Program
- Commission: 6%
- Cookie: 30 days
DTLR Villa is an urban fashion retailer with over 250 stores nationwide. Online, this company has a nice variety of sneakers in top brands like Jordan and Nike.
Like many other urban fashion retailers, DTLR Villa has a sales section that includes items on clearance. Some items on the clearance page can be discounted by more than 50%.
This company has a loyalty rewards program called Trendsetter that works on a points-earned system that can be traded for discounts on future purchases. With some exclusions, the company offers free shipping in the contiguous United States.
Why You Should Promote DTLR Villa: DTLR Villa has an active community outreach program that operates with the slogan “Daring to live right.”
6. SneakerWorld
- URL: SneakerWorld Affiliate Program
- Commission: 5-10%
- Cookie: 30 days
Sneakerworld sells sneakers, apparel, and accessories for men and women. This includes a special page for limited-edition sneakers. The company got its start in 2013 in Italy and is now expanding globally. It’s now gearing up to carry outdoor sportswear.
This company offers a 10% commission on new products and a 5% commission on sales items or items purchased with a discount code. There is free delivery in Europe, and free returns, as well.
Why You Should Promote Sneakerworld: Compared to many other sneaker affiliate programs, the commission rate and the cookie length are nice.
7. Indestructible Shoes
- URL: Indestructible Shoes Affiliate Program
- Commission: 10%
- Cookie: 30 days
Indestructible Shoes offers comfortable, stylish, and fashionable safety shoes. Their shoes are built to last for decades, function in several different environments, and are made to shield the body against workplace hazards. The materials used are extremely durable and lightweight.
Their shoes are perfect for outdoors and hiking, construction and labor jobs, military and security personnel, and restaurant environments. Although considered as work shoes, they all boast great designs for a style statement.
Indestructible Shoes’ affiliate program is administered by ShareASale. Affiliates will earn a 10% commission on every order. The cookie duration is set at 30 days. Affiliates will also be given access to banners, text links, and other advertising materials.
Why You Should Promote Indestructible Shoes: Great selection of stylish sneakers, they also have a regular announcement on promotions, new product launches, best-selling, and other program enhancements. Shipping is also free worldwide.
8. Nike
- URL: Nike Affiliate Program
- Commission: up to 11%
- Cookie: 30 days
While Nike sneakers can be purchased through other affiliate programs, it has its own program, too. This affiliate program is administered by Awin.
The products are mostly sneakers, including Jordan and Air Jordan shoes. There are also sportswear items like hoodies and pants.
Nike has a product launch policy for affiliates that regulates how they can promote launches.
Why You Should Promote Nike: Nike is one of the most well-known sneaker companies, so customers who are browsing through your site might trust a link here more easily than they would from a retail store they haven’t heard of.
9. Adidas
- URL: Adidas Affiliate Program
- Commission: Unlisted
- Cookie: Unknown
Like Nike, Adidas is a well-known brand of sneakers and sportswear. This company has been around since 1949, so it’s well established a particular about the affiliates it works with.
Affiliates have to be able to drive traffic from an audience of men and women aged 18-24. Websites need to be sports-centered or have a high fashion angle, and the content needs to be engaging and thought-provoking.
One nice thing about the Adidas website is that customers can shop by the type of sport they want to buy sneakers or apparel for. The sports categories include running, soccer, basketball, football, outdoors, and other sports such as yoga, boxing, or golf.
The affiliate program is run through Impact Radius.
Why You Should Promote Adidas: The well-known brand name could inspire shopping confidence and conversion with some customers. However, it’s difficult to tell how much you could make as an affiliate because the commission rate isn’t listed, and it could be difficult to be accepted as an affiliate.
10. Footwear Unlimited
- URL: Footwear Unlimited Affiliate Program
- Commission: 7-10%
- Cookie: Unknown
Footwear Unlimited is a full fashion footwear brand for women and children. There’s a section on the website for shopping for active footwear, and this is where most of the sneakers are found. However, there are plenty of other types of shoes sold in this section, as well, including sandals that are designed for being active.
One nice thing about Footwear Unlimited is that while the shoe prices are relatively inexpensive compared to other sneaker brands (think around $40), the average order value is still more than $75.
The affiliate program is administered by FlexOffers.
Why You Should Promote Footwear Unlimited: Even if your affiliate focus is on sneakers, the variety of other types of shoes could be a draw for some shoppers. Affiliates also get a 7% commission on returning customers, and the 10% commission on new customers is nice, too.
Affiliate Website Ideas
Now that you know about the top 10 sneakers affiliate programs, can you think of ways to use them with your niche market websites? I have a few ideas for you to help you brainstorm new websites of your own.
For example, why not start a niche market website that features supplies for martial artists? Specialty sneakers that won’t scratch or tear up foam mats are a big deal here. Uniforms, punching bags, sparring gear, books, and educational videos could also be promoted on a website like this one.
You might also try a website for sports-minded teens. Besides sneakers and athletic gear, a website like this one could feature workout music and devices to play it, headphones, cases, and backpacks. You could also promote online classes, educational videos, and summer camp registrations to help them learn specific techniques in their chosen sports.
Another angle would be a website on healthy corporate America. A website like this one could feature sneakers that can be easily packed into suitcases, gym equipment for building a workout space at the office, and packaged subscriptions for things like wellness incentives or video-based workouts that all the office staff can use.
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These 10 affiliate programs are just the beginning of what's possible. There are hundreds of ways to earn affiliate commissions with your website, including product reviews, top 10 lists, how-to guides, and more
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Nathaniell
What's up ladies and dudes! Great to finally meet you, and I hope you enjoyed this post. My name is Nathaniell and I'm the owner of One More Cup of Coffee. I started my first online business in 2010 promoting computer software and now I help newbies start their own businesses. Sign up for my #1 recommended training course and learn how to start your business for FREE!
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Parker Lee
Ay…this is a very straight to the point and informative post. This was perfect for what I’m looking for. I want to implement some kicks into my t-shirt shop. I’m going to take you up on some of those ideas as well. Thanks for the post!