Google just made online shoe shopping a lot less risky. The company's AI-powered try-on feature is expanding beyond clothing to include footwear, while simultaneously rolling out to Australia, Canada, and Japan in the coming weeks. The move signals Google's aggressive push into AI-driven commerce as retailers struggle with return rates.
Google is betting big on AI shopping, and shoes are the latest battleground. The company's virtual try-on technology, which already covers billions of clothing items, is now expanding to footwear - a category notorious for driving online returns.
The timing isn't coincidental. As e-commerce return rates continue climbing, especially for apparel and footwear, retailers are desperate for solutions. Google's AI promises to answer that age-old shopping question: "Can I actually pull off these shoes?" The technology uses what Google calls "state-of-the-art AI" that accurately perceives shapes and depths, preserving subtle details when overlaying products onto user photos.
But Google isn't just adding product categories - it's also going global. The try-on feature is expanding to Australia, Canada, and Japan in the coming weeks, marking a significant international push for the technology that's been confined to US markets since its launch.
The expansion comes as Google battles Amazon for shopping dominance. While Amazon relies on reviews and recommendations, Google is betting on something more visceral - actually seeing how products look on you before buying. According to internal data shared in Google's announcement, US shoppers are "having lots of fun" with the feature, sharing try-on images significantly more than they share standard product listings.
The shoe feature works exactly like clothing try-ons. Users tap any product listing on Google, hit "try it on," and upload a full-length photo. Within moments, Google's computer vision algorithms overlay the footwear onto the image, accounting for lighting, angles, and proportions.
This represents a major technical challenge. Unlike clothing, shoes interact differently with feet, require precise sizing visualization, and need to account for various foot positions and angles. Google's solution suggests the company's computer vision capabilities have matured significantly since the clothing launch.
The international expansion also signals Google's confidence in the technology's commercial impact. Rolling out to three major markets simultaneously - Australia, Canada, and Japan - requires substantial infrastructure investment and localized partnerships with retailers.
