There is no grading service for sneakers and no numbered ladder the trade agrees on. What there is, is a short vocabulary that people who buy shoes actually use.
The words
Deadstock (DS) — unworn, with the original box. Very near deadstock (VNDS) — worn once or twice, no meaningful wear. Used, with the wear described: creasing, sole wear, heel collapse, yellowing.
Anything beyond that is description rather than grading, and that is the honest position.
Why "9/10" means nothing
It is a number with no scale behind it. Two sellers using it mean different things, and a buyer reading it imports whatever they hope. Say where the wear is instead:
Worn four times. Light creasing across both toe boxes, sole wear at the heel, no yellowing, original box with a crushed corner.
Nobody can argue with that sentence, and it is worth more than a number. Common mistakes.
What to assess, in order
Size, as printed inside, because it changes what the item is at all. Sole wear, which is where wear shows first. Toe box creasing, straight on, under side light. Heel counters, for collapse. Yellowing, against something white. The box, for deadstock pairs, graded separately.
Authentication is a separate question
Not a grade, not a condition statement, and not something a video call settles. Say where the pair came from and what you can show. Buying sneakers.
Questions people ask
Is deadstock the same as new?
Unworn with the original box. Worn once is VNDS, and say it was worn once.
Does yellowing come out?
Treat it as permanent.
Should I grade the box separately?
Yes, for a deadstock pair. The box is part of what is being sold.