December Update

Welcome back to our monthly blog post on the development progress at SneakersAPI.dev! This month has been packed with exciting updates, and we’re thrilled to share all the new features and improvements we’ve rolled out. Let’s dive right in!

Key Highlights

• API v2 Released: Fewer routes, more detailed responses.
• Data Pipeline Overhaul: Now combines multiple sources for enhanced accuracy.
• Expanded Link Support: Added more links for better integration.
• New Source: Kicks Crew: Now used for data enrichment and soon for GTIN Lookup.

Why We Redesigned Our Data Pipeline

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been actively gathering feedback from our users, and one common issue that surfaced was the quality of the data we provided. After some investigation, we found that StockX, our primary data source, contained a significant amount of inaccurate information. This was particularly problematic because, in our new API version, we were relying heavily on StockX for extracting details like release dates and retail prices from product descriptions.

For example, consider this product page: https://sneakersapi.dev/products/nike-sb-zoom-janoski-og-black-white-2024-569b6. The description incorrectly mentions an “SB Dunk Blazer Mid” instead of the “Nike SB Janoski.”

To address this, we’ve completely rewritten our data pipeline. The new pipeline is designed to combine data from multiple sources, allowing us to cross-verify and select the most accurate information. For instance, Kicks Crew is now our top provider for additional details like images, release dates, and retail prices, followed by our private provider srp, and finally, our own extraction system if the first two sources don’t have the SKU.

Technical Improvements

Beyond data accuracy, we also overhauled the data pipeline for technical sustainability. The previous setup involved a chain of three services, which were resource-intensive and costly to maintain. This architecture led to increased server costs, potential points of failure, and higher maintenance overhead. In fact, our pipeline failed for several days in November, resulting in the loss of price history data from November 1st to 13th, and our monitoring system even missed the issue.

The new API v2 now operates on a single, unified database that handles data aggregation, full-text searching, and data enhancement, all within a single service. This simplification has significantly reduced our server costs and maintenance burden, while also improving reliability.

Transitioning to API v2

We strongly encourage all users to migrate to the new API as soon as possible and provide us with your feedback to help us continue improving. API v2 has been live since November 21st and has proven to be very stable so far.

The v1 API will be deactivated by December 15th at the latest. For users who access the API through RapidAPI, we’ve enabled a backward-compatibility mode for the Search API, which mimics the v1 response structure. However, we recommend switching to our dedicated endpoint for the best experience.

API Keys and Usage Limits

In API v2, we’ve made API keys mandatory for all endpoints, including free ones. You can obtain a free API key by signing up on our pricing page. We’ve also addressed the 15-minute delay issue: once you sign up, your API key will be instantly activated and sent to your email inbox.

Additionally, we’ve adjusted the free tier to 50,000 monthly requests. Each API response will include headers that show your current usage and limits.

Looking Ahead

We’re incredibly excited about the new version of SneakersAPI.dev and the improvements it brings. Our team has worked tirelessly to ensure that this version is ready for the holiday season. In the coming months, we plan to continue integrating more data sources, incorporate Kicks Crew into our GTIN Lookup API, and experiment with LLMs and AI classification methods to further enhance data accuracy.

Thank you for your continued support and feedback. We can’t wait to see what you build with our API!