Terms & Conditions

The Details of your submission

“Highest Grade Wins $5,000” Promotion

Official Terms & Conditions

Effective Date: July 25, 2026

These Official Terms & Conditions (“Terms”) govern participation in the Graded Shoes Company (“GSC,” “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) Highest Grade Wins $5,000 Promotion (“Promotion”). By purchasing a qualifying Pre-Order and submitting footwear for grading, each participant agrees to be legally bound by these Terms.

Promotion Overview

The first five hundred (500) qualifying Pre-Order customers who complete the authentication, grading, and encapsulation process with Graded Shoes Company will automatically be entered into the Promotion.

At the conclusion of the Promotion, the owner of the qualifying pair of shoes receiving the highest final grade under the Graded Shoes Grading Scale (“GSGS”) will receive a cash prize of Five Thousand U.S. Dollars (USD $5,000).

No additional entry fee is required.

Eligibility

Participants must:

  • Be at least eighteen (18) years of age.
  • Lawfully own the submitted footwear.
  • Purchase a qualifying GSC Pre-Order.
  • Complete the grading process.
  • Comply with all GSC submission requirements.

Employees, officers, contractors, grading personnel, directors, and their immediate family members are not eligible.

GSC reserves the right to verify eligibility.

Qualifying Entries

Only the first five hundred (500) completed qualifying submissions will be eligible.

A submission is considered complete only after:

  • Authentication is completed;
  • Grading is finalized;
  • Encapsulation is completed;
  • Payment obligations are satisfied; and
  • The grading record has been officially entered into GSC’s system.

Cancelled, refunded, incomplete, fraudulent, or rejected submissions are not eligible.

Determination of Grades

All grades shall be determined solely by Graded Shoes Company using its proprietary Graded Shoes Grading Scale (GSGS).

Participants acknowledge and agree that:

  • Grading contains elements of professional judgment.
  • Minor differences of opinion may exist between qualified graders.
  • Grades are opinions rendered under GSC’s proprietary standards.
  • Grades are final.

Participants expressly waive any right to dispute, litigate, or challenge the assigned grade except in the event of a demonstrated clerical or administrative error.

Highest Grade Winner

The participant owning the qualifying pair receiving the highest final numerical grade shall be declared the winner.

Ownership shall be determined by GSC’s records.

Tie Procedure

If two or more qualifying submissions receive identical highest grades, GSC shall conduct a tie-breaking review.

The tie-breaking review shall be performed by a panel of three (3) qualified graders selected solely by GSC.

Each panel member shall independently evaluate the tied submissions.

The panel shall determine which submission represents the superior overall example under the GSGS.

The panel’s majority decision shall be final, binding, and not subject to appeal.

The panel is not required to issue written explanations or scoring details.

Final Authority

All decisions made by Graded Shoes Company regarding:

  • eligibility;
  • authentication;
  • grading;
  • tie-breaking;
  • interpretation of these Terms; and
  • administration of the Promotion

are final and binding.

Fraud and Manipulation

GSC reserves the right to disqualify any participant who:

  • attempts to manipulate the grading process;
  • submits counterfeit footwear;
  • tampers with footwear before or after submission;
  • provides false ownership information;
  • interferes with the Promotion; or
  • engages in conduct deemed dishonest or abusive.

Disqualification may occur before or after grading.

Prize

One (1) cash prize of USD $5,000 will be awarded.

No substitution is required unless determined by GSC.

If the winner cannot be contacted, fails to respond within thirty (30) days, refuses the prize, or is found ineligible, GSC may select the next highest qualifying submission.

Taxes

The winner is solely responsible for any federal, state, local, or other taxes associated with the prize.

GSC may require completion of applicable tax documentation before releasing the prize.

Publicity Release

As a condition of accepting the prize, the winner grants GSC the perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free right to use the winner’s:

  • name;
  • likeness;
  • voice;
  • image;
  • submitted footwear;
  • grading information;
  • photographs; and
  • video footage

for advertising, promotional, educational, social media, documentary, and marketing purposes without additional compensation, except where prohibited by law.

The winner agrees to reasonably participate in promotional appearances relating to the award.

Recording of Prize Presentation

The prize presentation may be photographed and recorded.

GSC may publicly announce the winner through any media now known or later developed.

Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, participants release and hold harmless GSC, its owners, officers, employees, contractors, graders, affiliates, successors, assigns, sponsors, and representatives from any claims arising from:

  • participation in the Promotion;
  • grading decisions;
  • judging decisions;
  • authentication determinations;
  • tie-breaking decisions;
  • prize administration;
  • publicity;
  • shipping;
  • delays;
  • technical failures; or
  • any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages.

No Guarantee of Grade

Purchasing a Pre-Order does not increase, influence, or guarantee any grading outcome.

No participant shall receive preferential treatment.

All footwear will be graded under identical standards.

Reservation of Rights

GSC reserves the right to:

  • suspend the Promotion;
  • cancel the Promotion; or
  • correct administrative errors,

if unforeseen circumstances, fraud, technical failures, legal requirements, or events beyond GSC’s reasonable control materially impair the Promotion’s integrity. If the Promotion is cancelled after qualifying entries have been received, GSC may, in its sole discretion and where lawful, award the prize based on eligible entries graded before cancellation or provide another fair resolution.

Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Any dispute permitted under applicable law shall be brought exclusively in the state or federal courts located in Hennepin County, Minnesota, and participants consent to the jurisdiction of those courts, except where applicable law provides otherwise.

Acceptance

Participation in the Promotion constitutes full and unconditional acceptance of these Terms and all decisions made by Graded Shoes Company regarding the Promotion.

Participants acknowledge they have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms.

One additional recommendation: if this promotion becomes a centerpiece of your launch, consider having every entrant electronically acknowledge these Terms during checkout (via a required checkbox) and again during the submission process. That creates a much stronger record that participants agreed to the grading, tie-breaking, publicity, and dispute provisions before entering the contest.