Sell sneakers & clothing online: The optimal Shopify Fashion Shop

If there is one industry that feels particularly at home online, it is probably fashion. New online fashion stores are springing up almost daily to take root and grow in e-commerce. One store system is particularly popular with retailers in the fashion and sneaker industry: Shopify.

There are many reasons for this, but above all, Shopify makes it easy for online retailers of all sizes to get started in online retail.

In this article, we will show you how to use Shopify optimally for selling sneakers and fashion items, from the initial idea to exciting features and apps to the successful marketing of your products.

How can I successfully sell sneakers & fashion online with Shopify?

Regardless of whether you sell your own fashion brand, are a retailer for Adidas, Nike and co. or source your products via print on demand or similar options, with a store on Shopify you have the best conditions for growth and sustainable success.

We assume that you already know your niche and your target group and that all areas of product procurement have already been clarified. So what's next - what do you need to set up a fashion store or sneaker store with Shopify?

Choosing the right Shopify theme for fashion and sneaker stores

The appearance of your website is crucial for attracting and retaining customers. Shopify offers a variety of themes for different styles and product types in the Shopify Theme Store. Opt for a clean, user-friendly design that makes your products stand out. Remember that first impressions count, and a visually appealing website will significantly increase customer engagement.

Below are 6 themes that have been tried and tested in the fashion and sneaker industry.

1. Symmetry (USD 380 one-time purchase)
A versatile, fashionable premium theme, ideal for apparel and fashion businesses. It features intuitive layouts and professional aesthetics. Used by Overkill, for example.

2. Motion (USD 400 one-time purchase)
Popular with brands such as Vogue, the theme is known for its dynamic animations and modern designs.

3. Flex Theme (USD 495 one-time purchase)
One of the most flexible themes that gives merchants plenty of room for customization.

4. Bullet (USD 350 one-time purchase)
A fast, powerful theme that is particularly suitable for selling sneakers. This theme is used by Gate194, for example.

5. Showcase (USD 320 one-time purchase)
A modern theme that presents products and collections in style. Particularly suitable for an impressive brand presence.

6. Empire (USD 340 one-time purchase)
Ideal for large collections, offers a strong structure thanks to mega menus and optimized product sorting and helps to find products easily.

When selecting the most suitable theme for you, pay particular attention to the following aspects:

• Design: Choose a theme that matches your brand identity.

• Customization: Look for flexible options for colors, fonts and layouts.

• Ease of use: Intuitive navigation for easy shopping is essential.

• Performance: Choose a theme with fast loading times for better UX and SEO.

• Features: Look for product filters, quick view and other e-commerce tools like lookbooks.

• Support: Make sure there are regular updates and reliable support.

• Mobile-friendly: Your theme should be optimized for smartphones and tablets.

Optimization of your product pages

Define your design
After selecting your theme, you can start customizing your design to match your brand, adding your colors, uploading high-quality images for product pages, category pages and homepage, and setting fonts.

Provide detailed information
High quality images and detailed descriptions are essential, especially on your product pages (also known as PDPs). Each product page should provide comprehensive information such as sizes, materials and care instructions. Work with variants or color splits to show all color options of your product. You can also show certificates received for your product on your product pages, as seen here:

Provide detailed product images and videos
Work with zoom effects on your photos to give your customers more detail. Show your products both on the model and in person to make it easy for your customers to imagine the item. This works even better with videos.

Offer discounts - but remember the legal requirements!

To increase your sales, many retailers resort to regular sales promotions and discounts. Shopify makes it possible to create discount codes, plan special promotions and advertise products via various channels. Some ways to use discounts:

• Volume discounts: offer discounts when customers buy multiple products. This can be particularly effective in the fashion sector when customers are looking for an outfit.

• Exclusive discounts for newsletter subscribers: Use discounts as an incentive for customers to sign up for your newsletter.

• Flash sales: Flash sales are short sales promotions with special discounts that appeal to customers and can boost sales.

Storing discounts in Shopify is very easy and does not require any detailed instructions or a great deal of effort. However, since the EU's Price Indication Regulation came into force, online retailers have had to adhere to a few things. For example, you must always show the lowest price of the last 30 days. This is easy to implement with our Best Price Indicator app.

Optimization of your category pages

Category pages and product listings are crucial for navigation and the shopping experience in your Shopify store. Keep the following points in mind:

1. Clear layout and structure: use engaging, informative titles and short descriptions that clearly explain the purpose of the category.

2. SEO optimization: Use relevant keywords in titles, meta descriptions and image alt texts to increase visibility in search engines.

3. Filter and sorting options: Integrate filters by size, color, price, material and other relevant attributes to facilitate searches.

4. Visual consistency: Use high-quality product images with consistent formats and styles to create a harmonious appearance.

Well-structured category pages and product listings promote user-friendliness, improve the conversion rate and ensure higher customer satisfaction. We will give you more tips on filtering in the course of this article.

Act legally compliant!

Your online store needs an imprint, a privacy policy, permission to use cookies and general terms and conditions in which you provide information about withdrawal instructions. All tips on legally compliant texts in your online store can be found in the linked article. We also give you all the information about the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and Shopify in the following article.

What advantages does Shopify offer for fashion & sneaker stores?

Shopify is a store system that is frequently used by lifestyle brands in the fashion and sneaker sector in particular. This is due to the various advantages that the system offers:

• Omnichannel
  

  Shopify enables omnichannel sales, i.e. selling products via different channels - whether online via the web store, in retail stores or on social media platforms.

• Click and collect, retail stores, Shopify POS
  

  With Shopify POS (Point of Sale), you can also offer your customers a great shopping experience in brick-and-mortar stores.

• High customizability (e.g. through Metaobjects)
  

  Shopify offers a high degree of customizability for your website so that you can optimally design your branding and product presentation.

• Marketplaces
  

  Shopify easily integrates with major marketplaces such as Amazon or eBay to reach a wider audience.

• Social Media
  

  By integrating Shopify with social networks, you can sell directly on platforms such as Instagram or Facebook.

• Many themes
  

  Shopify provides a wide range of professional and customizable themes specifically designed for fashion and sneakers.

• Many apps
  

  Shopify offers thousands of Shopify apps to help you optimize and grow your business and meet legal requirements.

• Shopify Payments
  

  Shopify Payments makes it easy to integrate various payment methods such as credit cards and PayPal.

• Large community
  

  Shopify has a large, active community and many fashion brands have already sold successfully on Shopify, so you have access to a broad knowledge base.

• 24/7 support
  

  Shopify's 24/7 support will help you with any questions or technical issues.

• Simplified marketing
  

  Use Shopify's integrated SEO and blogging tools to increase the visibility of your products and engage your audience through targeted advertising.

• Shopify Flow
  

  Shopify Flow helps you to automate processes and increase the efficiency of your store.

• SEO optimization
  

  Shopify has built-in tools to help you meet ranking factors and get your pages listed in search engines with relevant keywords.

• Scalability
  

  Shopify has all the resources to grow with your business. Whether you're a small sneaker seller or a fashion empire.

Special features for your sneaker & fashion store on Shopify

The benefits and functions presented so far in this article have been quite general and useful for many different retailers. In this section, we would like to take a closer look at which features can be particularly interesting for fashion stores and sneaker stores.

Size guide, size advisor and measurement charts with Shopify

In order to avoid unnecessary returns in your online store, it should be important to you that your customers reach for the right size straight away. By providing information such as “runs one size larger” or “runs one size smaller” and offering a table with measurements, you provide your customers with important information.

Some Shopify themes already include such size guides natively and only need to be activated. Other Shopify stores can rely on apps to use such size guides. Below you will find 5 good apps from the Shopify App Store:

1. BF Size Chart & Size Guide

2. SizeID

3. GA: Size chart

4. SmartSize Size Chart

5. Kiwi Size Chart & Recommender

Lookbook / Shop the Look

A lookbook is a great way to present combined styles. Customers not only get outfit inspiration, but can buy the entire look directly by clicking on the product tags. Latori customers like Asphaltgold demonstrate this impressively.

Lookbooks or shop-the-look pages can be realized in various ways with Shopify. One of these is - how could it be otherwise - Shopify apps. Below we have 4 app suggestions that are also popular with our customers:

• Lookbook Shop by Gallery Ace

• EM Lookbook by Gallery

• Lookfy Gallery: Lookbook Image

• MOD: Lookbook

Some Shopify themes, such as the Studio theme, already have Lookbook functionalities. It is best to check the Help Center of your respective theme to see whether and how you can activate a Lookbook.

For an even more personalized experience, custom programming your lookbook on your website can be a one-time investment. This avoids ongoing app fees and allows for a personalized design that aligns with your brand's vision.

At Asphaltgold we have solved the looks via Metaobjects. Each look is a metaobject entry, i.e. Shopify native, but with custom developments for the frontend.

Pre-order and Coming Soon with Shopify

With Shopify, you can present products even if they are not yet available - ideal for drops to generate hype. Products should be labeled with a “Coming Soon” label, a release date and countdowns. These elements should appear both on the product page itself and in product lists. A special “Coming Soon” category page also increases awareness.

You can also offer your customers the opportunity to pre-order products. A normal checkout process takes place, but payment is reserved and the item is delivered as soon as it is available.

Practical apps for coming soon and pre-orders

• PreCom - coming soon preorders: Hides products until the launch date and adds “Coming Soon” badges.

• SB Coming Soon Product-PreSale: Not only adds badges, but also collects emails from interested customers to estimate demand in advance.

Function already integrated in some themes

Some third-party themes already offer “Coming Soon” functions. For example, themes from Out of the Sandbox make it easy to add banners or labels.

Customized solutions by experts

For customized requirements, Shopify experts can integrate the “Coming Soon” function directly into the theme - without additional apps and a possible reduction in page loading speed.

Gain purchasing rights: Product Raffles with Shopify

Raffles, also known as sweepstakes, are a popular method in the fashion and sneaker sector for giving away limited edition products exclusively to customers. In this case, it is a systematic process in which customers register for a product, select the right size and pay with PayPal. The payment is initially only reserved. If the raffle is won, payment is made and the item is dispatched. In the event of a loss, the payment is released and the item remains available.

Winners are randomly selected by app, checked by merchants and then notified by email. For winners, the order is processed automatically.

Store display:
For the display of Raffle products on the product page (PDP), it is recommended to integrate the “Raffle” notice on the product card to increase the willingness to participate.

Customized solutions:
The Raffle apps developed for Asphaltgold and Overkill, for example, were programmed by the Latori team. These apps offer additional protection mechanisms against bots and ensure that the raffle process runs smoothly.

Personalization of products (e.g. shoes)

Another exciting option that you can offer your customers in the store is the personalization of products. This works particularly well with sneakers, but T-shirts or sweaters can also be personalized with customers' own designs. What you need for this is a configurator for your product pages on Shopify.

With the help of apps such as “Infinite Options” or “Product Customizer”, customers can customize shoes with their own designs, colors or materials. This can create a unique shopping experience and set your brand apart from others.

Alternatively, you can have your own configurator developed to meet the individual requirements of your customers. The team at Latori already has experience with this and has created configurators for clients such as Wunschgutschein, e.Go and GetSteps.

With features such as those mentioned above, you can create a user-friendly and impressive online store for sneakers and fashion in addition to the standard functions. In the last step, we will look at what you need to consider in terms of marketing and usability.

How to ensure good UX in the fashion store

Your products are ready, the store is set up with all its designs and standard functions and you have also thought about the lookbook and other finesses. Now it's time for the finishing touches. Make sure that your products are easy to find in the store. There are three important points to bear in mind.

Filtering and product sorting

For a smooth and user-friendly product search, your Shopify store should offer a well-designed filter function. Filters by gender, size, material, collection and fit are a must to provide customers with a quick and easy shopping experience. Shopify offers solid default filtering that can be further enhanced with some additional coding. Additionally, Shopify apps can help improve product sorting even further.

A more specific solution for this could be Kimonix, which offers an optimized user experience. Kimonix enriches Shopify stores with data-driven tools such as intelligent collection sorting, A/B testing and targeted cross-selling. It increases conversion rates and sales through personalized product recommendations and email campaigns.

Good search function

Shopify's native search function is not yet perfect and doesn't always understand misspellings or offer helpful suggestions for searched items. Apps like Klevu, Doofinder or Algolia offer more powerful search solutions that provide customers with a better experience.

Latori customer LFDY also uses Algolia to provide its customers with more accurate search results and suitable suggestions.

Recommendation systems and cross-selling

Use tools for product suggestions and cross-selling to increase the average order value. Ads such as “Customers also bought” or personalized recommendations on the product page improve the user experience and increase sales.

Wishlists

Saving a product for later because you can't decide to buy it at the moment? This has been a common practice in online stores for years. However, wish lists are not yet integrated into Shopify as standard. With third-party apps in the Shopify App Store, however, you can quickly implement this offer for your customers. With these apps, you can enable customers to save their favorite products for later purchases:

• Wishlist Plus (e.g. used by Asphaltgold)

• Wishlist Hero

• Listr: Wishlist + Reminder

Marketing for maximum reach

A well-thought-out marketing strategy is the key to success in online clothing and sneaker retail. With targeted measures, you can strengthen your brand, increase visibility and retain customers in the long term.

SEO and paid advertising

Search engine optimization (SEO) is essential to make your products and your store easier to find. Choose relevant keywords, optimize your content and rely on proven SEO practices to rank higher in search results. In addition, you can rely on paid ads to achieve quick results while organic methods take effect. Google Search Console should be linked to your store for better insights.

Social media and influencer marketing

Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are essential for fashion and lifestyle brands. Use features like Instagram Shopping to sell products directly via social media and partner with influencers who represent your brand values. Authentic partnerships are crucial here to build trust and a strong connection with the target group. You can easily link your Shopify store with your social media presences.

Strengthen customer loyalty

A loyal customer base is crucial for long-term success. Foster loyalty through personalized experiences, quick responses to customer feedback and attractive loyalty programs. These can be added to your store through apps or custom programmed for you by developers.

Examples:

• Loyalty programs like Peso Clothing offer benefits such as free shipping, birthday gifts or exclusive products.

• Automated email campaigns keep customers informed and encourage repeat purchases.

App recommendation:

• Smile.io or LoyaltyLion for creating loyalty programs.

• Klaviyo for personalized and automated email marketing campaigns such as abandoned cart reminders or recommendations based on purchasing behavior.

• Charles for WhatsApp marketing, helping you to reach your loyal fans directly on their smartphones and draw their attention to the latest updates and sales.

Data analysis and conversion optimization
Monitor important key figures such as website visitors, conversion rates and average order values in order to optimize targeted measures. Google Analytics or similar systems should be installed in your store as standard - it only takes a few clicks. Shopify's own reports also provide you with some important insights into your sales.

Apps such as Hotjar can be helpful for more precise behavioral analyses and heat maps.

Examples of successful fashion and sneaker stores on Shopify

Asphaltgold

Asphaltgold is a leading sneaker store from Darmstadt that specializes in exclusive sneaker models, streetwear and accessories. In the online store, customers can find coming soon pages, lookbooks, wish lists, complex size filters and a Raffle app created by Latori.

Overkill

Overkill offers a wide range of sneakers, streetwear and lifestyle products. With a strong focus on subcultures and sneakerheads, the range includes limited editions and exclusive collaborations with leading brands. This online store also offers Raffles and Coming Soon offers. In addition to exclusive products, customers will also find a well-positioned blog. Overkill not only sells online but also in retail stores in Berlin and Cologne.

LFDY

LFDY is a well-known D2C fashion brand from Düsseldorf that sells high-quality streetwear for men and women. The collection ranges from hoodies, shirts and sweatpants to jackets, accessories and seasonal capsule collections. LFDY sells in both the German and UK online stores and in some retail stores.

Klaviyo for email marketing, Algolia for personalizing search results and Peoplevox were integrated. Multilingualism and Shopify POS for retail stores were also implemented.

Vogue

The Vogue Collection is aimed at fashion and lifestyle fans with stylish and minimalist items such as hoodies, T-shirts, sweatshirts and accessories. The designs are modern and feature the iconic Vogue logo. The online store boasts a clean design, a clear lookbook and a subscription function.

Conclusion

A successful Shopify store for fashion and sneakers requires more than just a well-designed online offering. With effective features such as Raffles, personalized products, a strong marketing strategy and an excellent user experience (UX), you can significantly increase your conversion rate and customer satisfaction. Use the right apps and optimizations to achieve your goals and stand out in a competitive market.