From 3 to 5 minutes

Photo requirements for footwear

Check the requirements you must follow to boost your listings with photos.

Photos are a key element to stand out from the competition, since listings with good quality photographs have a better positioning in the search results. In order to achieve this, follow these guidelines: 

 

Your first photo

You can upload a maximum of 8 photos and a minimum of 4. Please keep in mind that the first photo, or cover photo, is the most important one, since it presents your product and helps you better position yourself in the search results.

When you upload the photos in the listing, we will indicate which one you have selected as the cover photo of your product. You can change it for another one you have already uploaded or upload a new one. 

Follow these requirements to have a cover photo that helps you improve your positioning in the search results: 

 

Background

To make your product the protagonist of the photo, you must use a digitally created pure light background. For fashion garments, we accept backgrounds in white, gray or cream. 

If your product is white, we recommend using a cream or gray background, which will help the garment stand out. Please bear in mind that the background should highlight your product, not overshadow it. 

You should not use textured backgrounds or backgrounds of real places.

Presentation

Show only one unit of your footwear in a side shot. This way, the material can be better visualized, helping you to reduce questions and returns. 

Make sure your product is facing to the right and in case it has laces, that they are neatly tied.

If you sell flip-flops, show the pair from the top, centered in the photo and without models.

You should not use photos in which your products are placed over a box, on textures, with intervened backgrounds or that look deformed.

Shots and framing

Taking photographs with the correct shot and framing helps to show your product as the protagonist. To achieve this, follow these instructions: 

  • Your product must be viewed in its entirety. It should not be cropped.
  • It must occupy between 60% to 80% of the image. If it is too far away, it cannot be viewed properly and if it is too close, the notion of the real size of the product is lost. 
  • The product must be centered and facing to the right. We recommend leaving a few centimeters to the sides of the image so that the product is more visible.

Do not add extras

The goal of the photos is to focus all the attention on one single element: the product. It is essential that there are no distractions. Therefore: 

  • You should not add contextual elements to the photo, for example, accessories. This could confuse the buyers and make them think that the accessory is included in the purchase. 
  • Avoid including your contact details such as emails, telephones or links. 
  • Do not add your logo, watermarks, frames, QR codes or texts. 
  • Take your own pictures. Do not use photos from other people or from the internet. If an image infringes copyrights, we may pause your listing.
  • Avoid adding the measurements of the product in the photos. There are other places where you can add this information: we recommend using a size chart. 

 

To summarize

The first picture must:

  • Have a white background (if your product is white, the background may be cream or gray).
  • Show the product facing to the right. 
  • Display your product centered, and it should occupy between 60% to 80% of the image.
  • Show the product properly illuminated and neat.

The first picture should not:

  • Have more than one product and/or a model. 
  • Be a selfie.
  • Be pixelated.
  • Have subtitles and/or stamps.

In the following photos

Complete your listing by uploading more images that highlight the strong features of the garments. Remember that you must upload at least 4 photos and a maximum of 8. It is extremely important that all the photos focus on the product you are selling. 

Show your product from other angles. We suggest the shots of the other photos be:

In perspective: place your product diagonally.

From the top or front: according to the type of footwear, you may take a picture from above or with the product facing the front.

From the bottom or back: according to the footwear, you may take the picture showing the bottom of the item (the sole) or the back.

If you would like to add more photos, you can also combine images that show a model wearing the product. Make sure the clothing does not hide the footwear.

It is important to show the product exactly as it is, so that buyers have their expectations met. The closer to reality your product is shown, fewer are the questions you may receive, you can also increase your direct sales and save time. 

 

Quality and Edition

Bear in mind that a low quality photo is not attractive. The images should look good and should not be deformed when zoomed in. That is why the photos of your listing must follow at least these technical specifications:

Once you take the pictures, it is time to edit them, and you will have the opportunity to enhance the lighting and the color contrast, among other things. 

We recommend a few apps for mobile phones and computers. Most of them are free and offer a paid version with more features:

  • Adobe Lightroom
  • Snapseed
  • Afterlight
  • VSCO
  • Pixlr

Follow these requirements and optimize your product photos to boost your positioning in the search results, attract the attention of more buyers and increase your sales.

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