What a batch actually is
In sourcing, a batch is one production run of an item: the same pattern, the same materials order and the same factory window. Because the run has a start and an end, everything tied to it changes over time — the price, the available sizes, the colourways, and sometimes the smallest details of the shape. When sellers write a batch name in a listing title or a link slug, they are telling you which run the pair in the photo came from.
Batch names are community shorthand, not official product codes. Nobody licenses them, nobody audits them, and two sellers can use the same name for stock that behaves differently. That is why a batch name is useful as a starting point for research — it tells you which photos and reviews to compare — and useless as a guarantee.
Batch churn is also the main reason spreadsheet-style indexes go stale. A listing that was accurate last month may now point at a sold-out run, a different colourway or a repriced item. We treat that as a maintenance problem rather than a reason to hide the listing: see how links are checked for the method behind this index.
Common batch names you will see
The names below are the ones that appear most often in links on this index. They are descriptive labels used by sellers and communities, not endorsements, and quality varies between silhouettes within every one of them.
| Batch label | Where it usually appears | What buyers tend to report |
|---|---|---|
| LJR | Shoes (mostly Jordan and Nike silhouettes) | Widely referenced for shape accuracy; sizes and colourways restock in waves. |
| H12 | Shoes, hoodies and outerwear | Large, high-volume line; quality varies more between silhouettes than between batches. |
| PK / PK God | Shoes, especially knit uppers | Known for soft uppers; sizing tends to run closer to true EU size. |
| OG | Shoes and bags | Older, more established run; often the reference other batches are compared against. |
| GX / GD | Shoes and hoodies | Mid-price lines used when an LJR or PK pair is out of stock. |
| Top / Best | General merchandise | Marketing words rather than a factory name — treat them as a claim, not a batch. |
If a listing only says "top quality" or "best version" without naming a run, treat it as unlabelled stock and rely entirely on the QC photos and the seller's return terms.
How to compare two batches of the same item
- Start from the same silhouette. Confirm both listings are the same model, colourway and size system before comparing anything else; a different colourway often means a different run.
- Compare the QC photos, not the marketing shots. Marketing images are reused across batches. Warehouse photos show the actual unit, the scale, the labels and the seams.
- Weigh the price difference against shipping. A heavier batch with a boxed presentation can erase a price advantage once chargeable weight is billed.
- Check the size chart in both listings. Sizes can differ between runs by up to half a size; the measurement table in the listing is the authority, not the label.
- Ask the seller one specific question. "Which batch is shipping this week?" gets a clearer answer than "is this good quality?", and the reply is worth saving with your order.
If both batches are plausible, pick the one your agent can actually inspect soonest. Speed to the warehouse matters more than a marginal difference in stitching, because the return window closes once you approve the parcel.
Brands in this index
Brands are read from live listings rather than from a hand-written list, so a brand only appears below when at least one product in the index currently carries that name. Each chip opens a filtered search across all 11,414 listings.
Looking for something not listed here? Open the full product index or use the category directory. Categories map to the seller's own taxonomy, so a brand that spans shoes and outerwear will appear in more than one place.
Why batch wording matters when you buy
Your shopping agent buys the exact listing you paste, not the batch you had in mind. If the seller ships a different run, the agent's purchase record — not the listing title — is what supports a dispute. Put the batch name in the order note, keep the seller's reply, and compare the warehouse QC photos against the batch you thought you were buying.
Agents differ in how they handle a wrong-batch delivery and how long free storage lasts, which is why this index tracks agent policies separately. Compare the current terms on the agents page or side by side with the comparison tool.
Batch questions, answered
The six questions that come up most often once buyers start reading batch names.