Judging deskdhgatecode

Shoes: pre-purchase judging points

8 judging points, listed exhaustively and ordered by what cannot be undone. Last checked .

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What goes wrong most often here

For shoes the two failures that come up most are these: toebox mesh that photographs well under flash but shows a different weave on both feet, and midsole alignment that drifts once the pair is standing on a flat surface. Both are decided by photographs a seller can take before dispatch, which is why the points below start where they do.

Sneakers sit in the middle of the weight band, so freight is rarely the surprise. Duty and the returns reserve are what move the delivered total.

Every judging point for this category

8 points, read in an order set by what cannot be undone. For shoes that works out as 1 at the deal credibility stage, 4 at the structural defects stage, 2 at the surface and finish stage, 1 at the handover and completeness stage.

Deal credibility 1

Structural defects 4

  • Toebox mesh and shapeThe weave density of the toebox material and whether the two shoes hold the same silhouette when viewed from the same angle.Current25 Sep 2026
  • Midsole alignment and heightWhether the midsole runs true to the upper on both shoes, and whether both midsoles carry the same height along their length.Current25 Sep 2026
  • Outsole gluing and edge finishThe bond line between the outsole and the midsole, and whether adhesive has spread past the edge where it will collect dirt.Current25 Sep 2026
  • Heel counter rigidityWhether the heel counter holds its own shape under thumb pressure, on both shoes, without folding inward.Current24 Sep 2026

Surface and finish 2

  • Stitch density and loose threadsWhether stitching runs at an even number of stitches per centimetre around the upper, and whether any thread ends are loose rather than finished.Current24 Sep 2026
  • Material grain and surface finishWhether the upper material carries a consistent grain and finish across both shoes, read under lighting that does not flatter it.Current24 Sep 2026

Handover and completeness 1

  • Box label and what actually shipsWhether the box label matches the shoe inside it, and whether both agree with the size and colourway that was ordered.Current24 Sep 2026

What the photographs have to cover

For shoes, 6 distinct things have to be visible in the set a seller sends — beginning with the live listing page itself, title, category breadcrumb and thumbnail:

  • the live listing page itself, title, category breadcrumb and thumbnail
  • the variant selector and the stock line on the listing page
  • a written reply from the seller naming model, colourway and size
  • two overhead photos, one per shoe, same lens distance, plain background
  • a macro photo of each toebox with a scale reference in frame
  • a side-on photo of both shoes standing on the same flat surface

Asking for that set in one message is what the photo request wording is for. When a seller skips one of these shots, the gap surfaces first at listing shell: is this page the shoe or a stand-in?, which is why that point sits at the top of the list above. What each angle can and cannot show is set out on the photo limits page.

Cost shape for this category

Sneakers sit in the middle of the weight band, so freight is rarely the surprise. Duty and the returns reserve are what move the delivered total.

3 gauges cover this category, listed beside this column with the date each parameter set was last read. On shoes orders the line that moves first is sneakers sit in the middle of the weight band.

Records for this category

All seller records, with the inclusion and withdrawal rules on the method page.

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