cheap is a landed-cost question, not a sticker-price question. Searches for adidas superstar white and Black cheap peak every quarter, and most of that traffic never becomes a sale, because the shopper compares a low quote to the retail tag without adding freight, duty, and slow-moving sizes into the math. Here is how experienced buyers price this colorway, which channels produce realistic offers, and what to check Before a deposit leaves your account.
Why this colorway moves without a markdown
The white and black Superstar is a core item, not a trend item. It sells to someone who wants one clean pair of sneakers and to someone who already owns four. That changes your buy plan: you are not betting on a color trend, you are betting on keeping sizes in stock.
Size demand is fairly predictable. Men's 8 through 11 and women's 7 through 9.5 do most of the work, while 12 and up and anything below a 6 sit longer unless your customer base is unusual. Build the First Order around that curve instead of splitting a lot evenly across the run.
Know which build you are quoting. The Superstar has been sold in leather, synthetic, and several reissued versions, and they do not cost the same or wear the same. A price that looks unusually low is often a different upper, a different production year, or a variant with a chunkier sole. Ask for the exact SKU before you compare two numbers.
Where the supply actually comes from
Adidas rarely opens accounts for small independent shops, which is why most stores buy core product through distributors, closeout lots, or a larger retailer's excess inventory. Each channel has a different price floor and a different level of risk.
Authorized distribution gives you a consistent size run, original packaging, and the ability to reorder the same SKU months later. The trade-off is a higher unit cost and, usually, minimums per style or per size run.
Closeout and liquidation lots can beat distribution pricing, but you take whatever assortment the seller has left. A great cost on 40 pairs is worthless if 70 percent of them are size 13. Anyone offering adidas superstar white and black cheap stock from a factory they will not name, with no size breakdown and no box condition, is selling a lottery ticket.
Reading a quote the way a buyer reads it
Two suppliers can quote the same model and one will cost you far more per sellable pair. The difference hides in the details: whether freight and duty are included, whether the size run matches your customers, and whether the boxes are retail-ready.
A quote only counts as adidas superstar white and black cheap if the all-in cost per sellable pair stays under your target after you set aside the sizes you will have to discount. Do that division before you negotiate, not after the invoice arrives.
Freight and duty move the landed number more than most first-time buyers expect. Ocean freight on a pallet is cheap per pair; air freight on a small lot can double your unit cost. Duty rates depend on classification and country of origin, and they change, so confirm the current rate with a customs broker instead of trusting a supplier's summary.
| Check | What a normal offer looks like | What a warning sign looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Size breakdown | Count per size, shared in writing before payment | Total pair count only, breakdown promised later |
| Box condition | Described honestly, with photos of the actual stock | Images pulled from a catalog or a retail site |
| Price consistency | Sits within a believable band of other quotes for the same SKU | Dramatically under every other offer, with no explanation |
| Payment terms | Deposit plus balance on inspection, or escrow on a first order | Full wire transfer upfront to a personal account |
| Restock ability | Seller can name the SKU and reorder it later | One-time lot, no SKU, no follow-up available |
Take a hypothetical pair at $45 landed and a $90 shelf price. Selling every pair at full price is a different business than selling 60 percent at full price and clearing the rest at $55 to free up space. Same quote, different outcome. That is why the size breakdown matters more than the headline unit cost.
Price breaks are worth asking about directly. Many suppliers tier pricing by volume, and the jump between the first and second tier is often larger than the gap between two competing quotes at the same volume. Request the full tier sheet, then decide whether buying up a tier justifies the extra inventory risk. Ranges vary by channel, so treat any figure you receive as indicative and confirm it with the supplier.
What to verify before money moves
None of these steps is exotic, and all of them fit into about a week. Do them once and you have a repeatable filter for every future lot.
- Get the SKU in writing. Model, colorway code, and production year. If the seller cannot produce it, end the conversation.
- Request a size-by-size count. Compare it against your own sell-through history. A cheap lot that is 60 percent size 13 is not cheap.
- Ask for photos of the actual pairs. Shell toe stitching, heel tab lettering, stripe alignment, box label. Catalog images tell you nothing about the lot in front of you.
- Price the freight before agreeing to the unit cost. FOB pricing looks strong until shipping, duty, and broker fees land on top.
- Start with a sample order. Ten to twenty pairs reveals more about condition and packaging than any phone call.
- Keep the first payment small and traceable. Pay a deposit against a documented invoice from a named business entity, not a personal transfer.
Run adidas superstar white and black cheap offers through the same process you use for full-price stock. The discipline is identical; only the margin target changes.
Red flags inside cheap quotes
Some signals are close to definitive. A seller who cannot name the SKU, refuses a size breakdown, and wants a full wire to a personal account is not a wholesale source. Walk away and do not negotiate.
Other signals are softer. Prices far below every competing quote usually mean grey-market goods, unauthorized production, or stock with defects the seller has not disclosed. In footwear, the last one is most common: pairs with glue stains, mismatched panels, or crushed boxes pulled out of a retail channel.
On authentication, rely on process rather than instinct. Compare stitching density at the shell toe, check the heel tab lettering, measure stripe spacing, and confirm the box label matches the shoe. For volume buys, pay a professional authenticator to review a sample before you commit to a repeat order.
FAQ
Is this colorway still worth reselling at a low unit cost?
Yes, if the all-in cost per sellable pair leaves a workable margin at the price your customers actually pay, and if the size run matches your demand. The white and black build needs almost no marketing, which keeps your selling cost down. What kills the deal is a cheap lot stuffed with sizes you cannot move.
How large should a first order be?
Small enough that a bad lot will not hurt, large enough to cover a usable size run. Many independents start with a sample of 10 to 20 pairs, then scale once they have seen condition and sell-through. Minimums vary widely by supplier, so confirm requirements and whether mixed sizes are allowed before committing.
Can I spot fakes from photos alone?
Not reliably. Photos help with obvious problems such as uneven stripe spacing, soft shell-toe stitching, or a box label that does not match the shoe. A convincing copy will pass a photo review. For volume purchases, have a sample pair checked by a professional authenticator before you place a repeat order.
Do these pairs usually arrive with the original box?
It depends on the channel. Distribution stock normally comes boxed. Closeout and liquidation lots often do not, and damaged boxes are common. Ask explicitly, get the answer in writing, and factor a missing box into your resale price, since unboxed pairs typically sell for less.
If you are assembling a buy list, send us the adidas superstar white and black cheap quotes you are working with, along with your size curve and target landed cost per pair. We will come back with what is in stock, how it is boxed, and what the numbers look like delivered to your zip code.