Let’s be honest. A shoe is a strangely shaped object because ya know … feet. So, how do you get your shoe shots looking less awkward and more, “omg, I need those shoes!”? Let me tell ya!

TIP #1: BUCKLE UP

The biggest mistake I see photographers make in their shoe shots is failing to buckle the buckles on the shoes or tie it’s ties. This leaves the shoe feeling messy and unpolished. You want these shoes to look like you just took them out of their shoe box, not like someone has been wearing them for hours, so take 30 extra seconds before your photo and buckle it up.

SHOE SHOT TIP #2: THINK PIGEON-TOED

When doing an overhead flat lay of the shoes, imagine the wearer is pigeon-toed and place the toes pointing inwards toward each other. With this method, you avoid photographing the uneven surface of the inner edge of the shoe and you also give yourself more surface area to focus on than if you simply left the shoes upright. Personally, I like when the toes are at the bottom and the heel is at the top of the image.

TIP #3: SIDE PROFILE

Once you’ve gotten a flat lay image, it’s nice to show the outer side profile of the shoes as that’s typically where the most detail lies. I prefer this to front on photos, unless there is a major detail near the toe, such as a large bow (I see you Loeffler Randall). I like to avoid a heel to heel side profile, as I believe it looks dated. Instead, line the shoes up like they’re posing for a mug shot, find a nice clean backdrop, and get low to get a straight on side profile angle of the shoes. 

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