Sneaker barcode lookup

Where the barcode is on a sneaker box

Almost every sneaker box has a printed label, usually on one end of the box or lid. The barcode is the block of vertical bars with digits printed underneath, and those digits are what the lookup needs. The same label normally carries a style or article number, the size and the colorway name.

There is no special sneaker barcode scanner: a lookup runs on the digits. Type them, or use a handheld scanner or phone scanner app that puts the number into the search box.

Barcode or style code: which one to search

A sneaker box shows two identifiers that do different jobs:

• The barcode is a GTIN, a global number that identifies one sellable unit: model, colorway and size together.
• The style code is the brand code for a model and colorway, shared by every size.

This page searches barcodes. To search a style code, use the style code lookup, which shows the product and how many size barcodes we hold for it.

How each brand labels the box

The barcode works the same way on every box. The code printed next to it changes with the brand, and knowing its shape stops you typing the wrong number:

• Nike: six characters, a dash and three more, such as CD4487-100. See the Nike barcode lookup.
• Jordan: the same nine-character style number, such as FQ8138-600, with separate numbers for each retro release. See the Jordan barcode lookup.
• adidas: an article number of six characters with no dash, such as HQ6448, and usually a 13-digit EAN. See the adidas barcode lookup.
• New Balance: letters around the model number, such as U9060ECA, plus a width code. See the New Balance barcode lookup.
• ASICS: eight characters, a dash and a three-digit color suffix, such as 1203A895-105. See the ASICS barcode lookup.

UPC-A and EAN-13 on shoe boxes

Most sneaker boxes carry either a 12-digit UPC-A (GS1 GTIN-12) or a 13-digit EAN-13 (GTIN-13). The final digit of both is a check digit calculated from the others, which is how a scanner or a validation tool catches a misread.

A UPC-A and the same number with a leading zero are the same GTIN, and the lookup treats them as one code. The reverse does not hold. An EAN-13 that starts with any digit other than 0 has no 12-digit form, so type all 13 digits. The GTIN converter shows the 12, 13 and 14-digit forms of a number where they exist.

One sneaker, many barcodes

A single colorway has one style code and a separate barcode for each size. Brands also treat versions that share a name as separate products. Examples are the adult and grade school versions of a shoe, the men's and women's versions, and each re-release of a retro colorway. Each of those has its own style code and its own run of barcodes.

That is why a barcode is the safer identifier when a box is in front of you. It resolves to one product, and the full style code in the result lets you confirm it against the label.

Why a sneaker barcode lookup can fail

• Wrong input. The lookup accepts digits only, between 8 and 15 of them. Letters, spaces and style codes will not match.
• A transcription error. Check the number with the barcode validation tool; a failed check digit means a digit was misread.
• The wrong label. Shipping cartons and store price stickers carry their own codes. Use the size label on the shoe box.
• Not in our catalog. Coverage is strongest for sneakers and streetwear, but a valid code can still be missing.

A match confirms which product a barcode belongs to, not that the pair is authentic. A real barcode can be printed on a copied label.

What the free lookup shows, and what needs an account

For a code we hold, the free page shows the product name, a product image, the brand, the barcode type, the full style code and the colorway when available. Size, release date, retail price and description are for signed-in accounts with API requests available.

The same data is available through the API for anyone checking boxes in volume, for example in a warehouse intake flow or an inventory app. The free trial runs 7 days with 100 requests and needs no payment method. Plans are in the pricing section, and the API getting-started guide walks through the first request.