Backdoor

Backdooring refers to selling limited products through unofficial channels—typically store employees selling to friends, resellers, or preferred customers before or instead of public release. The practice undermines the fairness drops are supposed to represent: while regular customers wait in line or enter raffles, backdoored pairs go directly to those with connections. Backdooring is endemic in sneaker and streetwear culture, with store employees frequently accused of holding stock for personal profit or social capital. Major retailers have fired employees for backdooring, though the practice persists. For resellers, backdoor connections provide guaranteed access to limited items without competing with the public. For consumers, backdooring explains why drops sell out instantly yet appear on resale platforms immediately—the public release was already partially depleted. The term carries strong negative connotation, implying corruption of the community-focused drop system.