Susannah Davda, The Shoe Consultant for Family Friendly Working

This season can be a good time to have a clear-out and give yourself more space to thrive. Shoes and boots are a great place to start because they take up a lot of space. If you’re thinking about listing shoes on eBay, Vinted or Depop, start by selecting which pairs to sell and taking excellent photos of them.

SHOULD I SELL OR DONATE?

When you have decided which pairs of yours and your kids’ shoes to part with, divide them into three piles: Recycle, Sell and Donate.

Recycle

If your shoes are so worn that you wouldn’t give them to a friend or family member, give them a clean, then place them in a tied bag and put them in your local Shoe Recycling Bank.

Sell

Unworn or good condition shoes with a recognisable brand are usually worth trying to sell on marketplaces like eBay. Children’s party shoes or kids’ sturdy winter boots may be in better condition than their trainers; and women’s heels and men’s formal shoes may not have had much wear in recent years.

Donate

Pre-worn shoes, boots or sandals branded with a budget store name like Primark or Target, or an unknown brand may not be easily saleable online. These are best donated to a local charity shop or shoe recycling bank.

CLEAN UP

Worn footwear can look 10x better after a clean. If your trainers or sneakers are machine washable, follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions to spruce up your pair. For other footwear, wipe dirt off the bottom and sides of the soles using a damp paper towel or washable cloth. Then clean the uppers with warm water, perhaps with a dash of mild detergent. When your shoes are dry, leather uppers can be given a lovely shine with some shoe polish in a matching shade. Wipe it on with a cloth, leave it to sink in for 30 minutes, then buff it off.

WILL ANY PHOTO DO?

People scroll through listings on resale sites quickly, and items with poorly lit photos are likely to be scrolled past. Your shoes are more likely to get the attention they deserve if your photos look better than most.

Elevate your shoes

To help you get a flattering angle for your shoe shot, place the pair you want to photograph on a table rather than the floor.

Do I need a fancy camera?

Your phone camera is probably fine for listing online, but if you have a tripod for it, that can be helpful for controlling the angle of the shot.

How can I get rid of horrible shadows?

The secret is to use two lights placed the same distance from the shoe (but out of shot). The two lights will cancel out each other’s shadow. Two matching bedside lamps can work well.

Check out the step-by-step guides for improving your shoe photos in my How to Photograph Shoes to Sell course.

WHICH SHOE DETAILS SHOULD I ADD TO MY LISTING?

Most shoes listed for sale on marketplaces include very few details. You can make your pair easier to purchase by adding extra information beyond the brand name and shoe colour. For example include the heel height, material details and how many times this pair has been worn. There is no such thing as too much information, but use bullet points to make your description easier to read.

If you’re selling multiple pairs of the same size, it’s a good idea to mention this in your listing so browsers can look at your other items too.

WHICH BRANDS SELL BEST?

This depends on the trends where you are, but I have found Dr. Martens adults and children’s boots and other brands known for being durable sell well. Unworn sneakers from sports brands are popular too, but we don’t all have these lying around our houses.

Have fun photographing and selling your shoes!