The term "Raffle" simply means raffle or tombola when translated literaly. The term raffle is preferable to tombola since all you will "win" is the right to buy the pair if you are drawn. The term raffle refers more to the fact of winning a product, while on the other hand you can very well be drawn without winning anything concrete.
Raffles are mostly used for special pairs, like collaborations between a brand and a designer or a pop culture star.
This system makes a pair scarce and desirable, as it is produced in small quantities and sold via a raffle where the raffle winners feel "special" and are grateful to have earned the right to purchase the pair. This increases the engagement and hype around a pair.
The concept is simple: you are aware that a rare pair you are interested in is going to be sold as a raffle on a certain day at a certain time, on a certain site/app. So you sign up for a "session" whose time is determined in advance, and then... you wait. Once the session is over, the seller's algorithms will draw lots of people who will have the right to buy the pair. You will only be informed of your right to buy at the end.
There are many applications but the most popular one is "SNKRS" from Nike.
Of course, since the pairs that come out of resells are often very rare, it is on the secondary market that all the money is made. Reselling has become a full-fledged business and speculation has taken over. Now, there are all kinds of participants in Raffles: from individuals who want to carry the pairs to resellers who are only there to make a profit on the resale of the pairs.
No matter which side you choose, there are techniques to use to have a better chance of winning, because in reality the "random" draws are not completely random. That's why we've put together an article on "How to Win SNKRS App Raffles in 2023" so that you can take the right steps to increase your chances.