Introduction

If you run a sneaker media website, you've probably had to use mock-ups at some point. Most often used when talking about upcoming releases, creating your own artwork is a great way to get readers excited about a new product. This is in no way a professional Photoshop tutorial, but rather a guide to help you get started with creating your own designs.

Keep in mind that this can take a lot of time, especially when you're just starting out. In case you're not using Photoshop, any similar layer-based image editing software alternative will work just as well.

Key takeaways

• Creating a concept sneaker mock-up can be done using Photoshop. You can create a mock-up in a few minutes or spend hours on perfecting it.
• Color fill is your best friend when it comes to changing colors. You can create many different effects using this tool together with blending modes.
• Clone stamp tool can help you remove unwanted elements from the image. Since we're in 2025, you can also use AI to remove image elements.
• Adjustment layers can help you change the color of the image. Use black and white, hue & saturation, levels, curves, and whatever else helps you.
• This is a creative process - don't be afraid to experiment. Save your file, try clicking on something you're not familiar with and see what it does.

Interactive mock-up

UPPER COLOR

BLUEGREENORANGESAIL

MIDSOLE COLOR

SAIL

BLACK

DISPLAYING BLUE UPPER WITH BLACK MIDSOLE

Use the interactive example above to see how a mock-up works. Please keep in mind this interactive experience is a simplified and hardcoded example.

Choosing the right image

Make sure to select the correct image and color-blocking before you start working on your mock-up design. This will save you a lot of time later on.

Selecting the correct image

The source image you choose wil either make or break your mock-up. Ideally, you want to use a high-resolution side profile image of the sneaker. The image should be in a png-alpha format (transparent background) and the resolution should be as high as possible.

The transparent background will help you mask the image later on. If you can't find a transparent version, you can also use a non-transparent image, but that makes the process slightly more difficult. Usually I'll download the thumbnail image from a brand's database using their content delivery network (CDN).

Using correct color-blocking

Now you know where to download the image from, but what are we looking for? Time to put your thinking cap on, because this will save you a lot of time later on. Try to pick a source image that resembles your final design as much as possible.

If you're creating a sneaker with a white upper, dark midsole and white outsole, you'll want to try and find a shoe that looks as close to that as possible. By trying to use the same color-blocking, you'll be able to focus on the design elements you want to change.
Mock-up example 2

If you're looking to go crazy, a triple white sneaker is probably the best option. It's also the hardest to pull off, since you'll have to color each individidual part of the shoe. If you're not looking to spend hours on a mock-up, I'd recommend using a similar color-blocking to the final design you want to create.

What we want to create

We're using a white sneaker to demonstrate the full process. Our example source image is the Air Jordan 1 Retro High "Sail" (style code 555088-114), and will be turning it into a pair with a blue upper, black midsole and blue outsole. For simplicity, we'll only be making two changes. First, will be turning the white parts to blue. Second change will be turning the white midsole into a black one. The final result should look like this:

You can download the mock-up in .psd format (editable version) here.

Masking the source image

You've opened your image in Photoshop, now it's time to start masking the source image. We will be using layer masks in a non-destructive way to apply changes to the source image.

Create a new group, apply a layer mask and invert it. Using the brush tool, paint over the specific parts of the shoe you want to change. If you are using a transparent image, you can control-click on the image thumbnail to automatically select the borders of the shoe.

Pressing the \ key while having the layer mark selected will open the mask overlay, showing you the areas you've already painted over. A similar black and white overlay is available when you alt-click on the layer mask thumbnail.

Updating the product design

Since we're working with a white sneaker, we'll need to turn the white parts into blue. If we try to apply a color fill layer with the "Color" blending mode, we'll notice the colors are really light. We can fix that by turning the white parts into a neutral grey tone first.

Turning white to grey

This part is easy. Add a color fill layer with a medium grey color and set the blending mode to "Subtract". This will turn the white parts into a neutral grey tone. Make sure to apply a "Black & White" adjustment layer in order to make sure you're working with a neutral tone.

Turning grey to color

Another easy part! Apply another color fill layer, this time with the "Color" blending mode. Choose the color you want, in our case we will choose blue.

Play with the two color fill layers until you are happy with the result. If you want a darker color, try adjusting the grey color fill to a darker shade - same thing applies for a lighter color.

Turning white to black

This one is easy too. Create a new group with an inverted mask. Add a yellow color fill layer and set the blending mode to "Subtract". This will turn the yellow fill into a dark blue one.

Add a black and white adjustment layer and play around with the blue slider to get the desired effect. An alternative way to change this shade is to play with the yellow color fill layer.

Turning black to white

Turning black to white is a bit more difficult - that's why you should pick the correct image in the first place! We will be using the Union LA x Air Jordan 1 Retro High OG "Storm Blue" (style code BV1300-146) and we will turn the black collar into a white one.

Create a new group with an inverted mask. Add a black and white adjustment layer and turn up the red and magenta all the way up. Now add a brightness and contrast adjustment layer and turn up the brightness. Now add a white color fill layer and set the blending mode to "Soft Light". Remember you may need to play around with the settings until you get the desired effect.

Bonus: Fixing shadows

If you've made it this far, let me teach you a little trick which makes shadows look better on dark backgrounds. If you're downloading the .png version of the image and place it over a dark background, you'll notice that shadows have a white tint. You can fix this using the Multiply blending mode, here's exactly how you can do it:

• Select your layer and click on the layer mask icon
• Use the brush tool to paint over the product shadows
• Duplicate the original layer and invert the layer mask
• Set the original layer's blending mode to "Multiply"

Sometimes you might get jagged edges around the product, depending on your layer mask settings. You can fix this by selecting the brush tool and painting over the edges on the original layer.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've created your first concept sneaker mock-up. You should probably add your own watermark to prevent people from stealing your work. Save your file and share it with your friends or followers. My suggestion is to save the editable version of the image. This way, you won't have to start over from scratch next time.

Examples

Here's two more examples based on the same source image to help you get started. Remember - there is no right way of doing things, so don't be afraid to experiment and have fun!