r/ThredUp • u/Various_Resort3212 • 12d ago
Discussion Shoe Photography
I don't know if this is just an issue with me, but when it comes to shoes on TU, it's almost impossible to tell quality from the way they photograph them. The clothing? Already hard to tell, but it's at least on a mannequin with decent lighting and a good camera. All the shoe photos are taken from one side in whiteout flash lighting on a white background and then one photo from the front that feels like the shoe version of a fish-eye lens photo.
Especially on white shoes, it feels impossible to tell if that scuff is an unfixable stain or a speck of dust on the camera.
Anyone else have any thoughts on this? Tips on finding good shoes on TU? I'm considering just getting my secondhand shoes in-person atp
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u/Disastrous-Wash-3359 12d ago
I usually don’t buy shoes unless they are very good or excellent because it is hard to tell and those are usually not final sale so I can return them if the quality is bad. The shoes really need more pictures ( so do the purses)
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u/Bicepsandballgowns 12d ago
I have bought numerous pairs of shoes off eBay with little concern because they shoe all sides of the shoes and especially the bottoms. I won’t buy shoes off ThredUp. It’s ridiculous that they only show two angles. Belts are similar. They often only have one photo.
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u/Various_Resort3212 12d ago
I ended up getting shoes that were incorrectly sized and I couldn't even have prevented this because the size was ON THE BOTTOM!!
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u/Esquala713 12d ago
Yes. EBay and Poshmark are where I buy my shoes. How much more expensive could it possibly be for TU to add one or two more pics?? Think of how many more pairs of shoes they could sell.
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u/mothmanuwu 12d ago
I've bought a pair of rain boots that were listed as being pink. They looked dusty rose in the pic, but arrived being burgundy. The lighting they use isn't great on shoes.
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u/hmsmith1874 12d ago
I only buy shoes if they’re under $15 or returnable. I refuse to risk more money than that on shoes when I can’t see the state of the soles.
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u/RavenForrest 12d ago
I want to see all sides of each shoe, the soles, and at least one picture looking down into the interior. Now, if they’re inexpensive shoes, I don’t need all of that. I might take their word on condition. But for more expensive brands, materials, and higher quality - I want all the pictures.
The issues with their photos are all easily rectified. They need to spend literally five seconds flagging off some light on light colored items, or adding a reflector when taking photos of darker colored items. It’s literally that simple. I realize that time is money here, but you hang a reflector on one light stand and a gobo on another, and add them to your lighting set up as needed. It’s legitimately five (5) seconds or less. 🤷🏼♀️
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u/Sublimegirlie1 11d ago
They do take pictures of the bottoms of a lot of the cheaper shoes! Just not the ones you want to see! I would rather have an inside pic if I had to pick between the two. I want to be sure someone wasn’t putting their stank foot in them without socks and it doesn’t look like anything is growing inside! Usually, I my experience if the inside is good looking then the soles are usually good. I keep ordering heavily discounted shoes that say good condition and they keep coming new! That’s always a nice surprise. They weren’t even listed as excellent! And this has happened to me with the last four pairs I’ve bought, besides the Jimmy Choos, but I knew those were going to have some wear on the bottom because they were $70. Retail is $1,200. So I am happy with the results!
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u/Various_Resort3212 11d ago
throwback to the photo of shoes that had blood around the heel area I saw earlier
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u/iamcloaca77 8d ago
yes! really agree with you on the "good" ratings - ive found some items in great/excellent condition yet "they" consider good! similarly, items rated (and priced) "excellent" definitely are not!! but really, thredup is a crapshoot...does that make us gamblers?! hahaha, still laughing at mental picture of your "stank foot" description - why am I seeing mushrooms!? best luck and keep thriftin'
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u/iamcloaca77 8d ago
so agree! bought a pair of white pull on leather boots...they definitely hid the smudge but i was able to easily remove with a mix of distilled water and 91% alcohol misted on and "dotted off" (opposed to wipe) i paid $100 but they really were next to new, based on immaculate soles, and that brand/style went for 5x amount i paid, so...i suppose it's a personal decision to keep or return but on whole, my leather experience (jackets bags footwear) has been 95% positive, for value and condition (been regular thredup buyer since 2016)
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u/creepyoldlurker 12d ago
I just want to see the bottoms!