Sneaker QC Checklist for Warehouse Photos

Sneakers reward structured photo review because pairs invite comparison: left versus right, medial versus lateral, listing silhouette versus received shape. This checklist stays in visible observation territory. It does not authenticate pairs, rate sellers, or declare stock status.

Superbuy Spreadsheet is independent. Shortlist candidates on /finds/sneakers/, then apply these checks when warehouse frames appear in your Superbuy account. Track ticks in the QC Checklist tool.

How to use the list

Work top to bottom once per pair. For each line, mark one of three states:

• Readable pass — the detail is in frame and meets your personal bar.
• Readable fail — the detail is in frame and fails your bar.
• Not visible — angle, blur, or occlusion prevented observation. Do not convert “not visible” into a pass.

Authenticity determination is never a fourth state here. Logo “correctness” as brand originality is out of scope; logo placement relative to panels can still be a construction check.

1. Pair presence and orientation

Confirm both shoes appear if you ordered a pair. Note whether photos show:

• Lateral (outer) sides of both
• Medial (inner) sides of both
• Heel cups together for height comparison
• Top-down toe box view

If only one shoe dominates the set, pair symmetry remains underdetermined.

2. Shape and silhouette

Compare overall profile to the listing image you saved during research—not to memory.

Check:

• Toe box height and taper (both shoes)
• Midfoot waist (does one shoe look pinched?)
• Collar height and padding bulk
• Heel counter uprightness (leaning inward/outward)

Lighting flattens shape. If the pair sits at odd angles, shape checks need a level side shot. Shape mismatch between left and right is a construction observation; it is not automatically a brand-fake conclusion.

3. Size tags and labeling

Open-tag photos matter more than box stickers alone.

Look for:

• Size string on the tongue or side tag (both shoes if tags differ by design)
• Consistency between left and right readable tags
• Box label size versus tongue tag when both are shown
• Style / model codes only as text match to your order notes—not as authenticity proof

Unreadable tags → mark not visible. Guessing size from shoe length in a perspective-warped photo is weak evidence.

4. Stitching and panel alignment

Walk major seams:

• Overlay edges at the toe and vamp
• Side panel joins
• Heel tab attachment
• Tongue sides and stitch density (evenness, not “factory authenticity”)
• Loose threads or skipped stitches in shown areas

Ask whether left and right show the same panel alignment pattern. Asymmetry you can photograph is fair game; stitching under the insole is not.

5. Outsole and bottom

Request or expect:

• Full outsole of each shoe, or a clear shared shot
• Logo or tread pattern continuity where the design exposes it
• Glue overflow along the foxing line if that line is visible
• Foreign marks, cuts, or flat spots on the contact surface

Outsoles hide in many default albums. If the bottom is decision-critical for you (climbing cups, translucent sole clarity, colorway), treat a missing outsole shot as a gap, not a pass.

6. Marks, stains, and handling damage

Scan uppers, midsoles, and sockliners when shown:

• Scuffs on toe caps and heel edges
• Warehouse pen marks or stickers that obscure materials
• Dirt in tread
• Creasing that looks like prior try-on (still a visible note—not a moral judgment)

Distinguish manufacturing marks from transit dust when you can; when you cannot, describe the mark without inventing cause.

7. Requested angles that usually earn their place

When the default set is thin, these angles often change decisions:

Angle	What it unlocks
Left/right lateral pair shot	Silhouette symmetry
Medial pair shot	Inner panel and foam exposure
Heel-rear pair	Collar height, tab alignment
Top-down	Toe box shape, lace asymmetry
Tongue tag close-up (both)	Size readability
Outsole (both)	Bottom condition and glue line
Insole removed or stamped area (if relevant to your check)	Stamp text—still not authenticity proof

Skip angles that only feed curiosity. If your doubt is midsole chemistry or long-term yellowing, no extra JPEG closes it. See the evidence framework and extra photos guide.

Pair alignment mini-protocol

Do this when both shoes are photographed similarly:

1. Imagine a centerline through each shoe from heel to toe.
2. Note toe tip offset left/right between shoes.
3. Compare eyelet row straightness.
4. Compare heel tab height.
5. Compare midsole height at lateral heel.

Write millimeter-free notes unless a ruler is in frame (“right heel tab sits visibly lower”). Fake precision without a scale helps nobody.

What this checklist refuses to do

• Declare pairs authentic or fake
• Score factories or “batches”
• Promise comfort, sizing accuracy on foot, or durability
• Treat box condition as proof of originality
• Claim Superbuy Spreadsheet hosts QC albums for every sneakers find

Comfort and true fit need wear. Material composition needs labels you trust or lab methods—not vibe from nubuck photos.

Linking research to review

During Finds research, save:

• The Product ID / Weidian ID you intend to order
• A screenshot of the listing’s side profile and size chart units
• Your non-negotiables (e.g., “both outsoles + both tongue tags”)

After warehouse photos arrive, reopen those notes. The QC Checklist tool keeps coverage honest: high coverage means you inspected visible items, not that the pair “graded well.”

Browse more footwear candidates on /finds/sneakers/ when you are still in shortlist mode. Once photos exist, stay in observation mode until every decision-critical line is pass, fail, or consciously accepted as unseen.

End state

A finished sneaker QC pass is a table of observables, not a trophy. Ship when residual unseen risks are ones you accept. Hold or pursue Superbuy’s account remedies when readable fails cross your line. Request another angle only when a specific row is not visible and that row would flip the decision—then stop.