I Love an Old Pair of Shoes I Purchased Years Ago. I Asked AI to Find Me a Similar Style
But some styles are timeless, and you'll want to replace them when they've seen too many red wine spills or look a little weathered. The world of fashion moves faster than a Tinder swipe. Maybe artificial intelligence can help locate links to the original item sold elsewhere, or find a similar look.
If AI can help find the best deals online, be used as a shopping assistant and even as a personal assistant, maybe it can help replace my gorgeous pair of heels that I can't find anywhere.
With ChatGPT Search, I can upload a photo of my shoes, and it can search the internet for shopping links -- like a Google reverse image search on steroids. There's even specific AI shoe finder GPTs I could test out.
(Disclosure: Ziff Davis, CNET's parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.)
Can ChatGPT magically find my favorite heels from a photo?
The first step was to take a few photos of my beloved shoes from different angles, making sure to capture the brand name. I bought these shoes close to a decade ago, when I was still living in Australia.
I made sure to snap any defining features and codes, like a sticker that miraculously stayed on the sole through just about every terrain -- grass, gravel, pavement and floorboards.
Next, I opened up ChatGPT, logged in and uploaded four photos with this prompt: "This is an old pair of shoes I love. I want to replace them with either the same item or something similar. I'm a US size 8. The code on the sole is 8M/38½. Here are four photos of the heels."
I made sure to select the Web Search button.
ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET
It gave me some identifying information in order to help me direct my own Google search, but I wanted it to do it for me. The point was to save time using AI.
ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET
I responded with this prompt: "Can you search the internet for links to the exact item?"
ChatGPT sourced a bunch of links with resale items and suggested I set up an alert using specific terms like "Lucky Brand Bertel black suede 8M."
While it didn't provide the specific product link, I liked being able to sort through the resale pages to see similar styles too.
ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET
Before I get deep into online thrifting mode on eBay, I asked ChatGPT to find five new styles that are similar, either from Lucky Brand or the others mentioned.
This was fun! I learned that this product is a block-heel suede look, which is helpful to know for whenever I need to do my own searches:
ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET
ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET
My only critique so far is I'm not familiar with some of the stores ChatGPT provided links to. I wasn't sure if it was just pulling from eBay and unknown websites because it was trying to find resale items.
ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET
So, I asked it to search sites that I'd usually buy shoes from, like DSW and Nordstrom.
It came back with direct links to these websites with the search pre-populated as "Lucky Brand" or "women's block heel sandals." This saved me some searching time, taking me straight to things like this Nordstrom page:
ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET
It suggested Marshalls/TJ Maxx, which I had forgotten in my previous prompt. I liked the recommendations it gave, such as a specific style for comfort or for a higher heel. It also provided tips on when these brands typically run sales.
ChatGPT found me two heels I loved, but one was sold out:
ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET
I found another two pairs of Lucky Brand finds from the links ChatGPT provided, only to discover they weren't even my size, even though I included that in my prompt:
ChatGPT / Screenshot by CNET
It was also interesting how the model didn't add any links from the Lucky Brand site itself, only third-party sellers. Always back up your ChatGPT activity with your own manual research.
AI chatbots can be a handy tool to get fashion advice, outfit recommendations, product comparisons and insights about your personal style. However, for online shopping, you're better off going directly to the brands and sites you love.
That's the fun part anyway.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Retailers Are All-In on AI - But Disconnected Data Threatens Progress
New Amperity report finds that while 45% of retailers use AI weekly, only 11% are prepared to scale it; CDPs are the clear differentiator SEATTLE, July 29, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Amperity, the leading AI-powered customer data cloud, today released its 2025 State of AI in Retail report, a new survey highlighting how retail businesses are rapidly embracing AI, but often lack the foundational data infrastructure needed to unlock its full potential. The survey of 1,000 retail professionals across marketing, IT, data and executive leadership reveals that 45% of retailers are already using AI daily or several times per week, and 97% plan to maintain or increase their AI investment in the coming year. However, only 11% say they're fully prepared to deploy AI tools at scale. "Retailers believe in AI's potential to drive loyalty and lifetime value — but belief alone won't close the gap between ambition and execution," said Tony Owens, CEO of Amperity. "What's needed is unified, actionable customer data - regardless of where it resides. With Amperity's patented identity resolution, retailers can unify data without moving it, transforming fragmented records into complete customer profiles that fuel AI and measurable business results." Customer-Facing AI: The Missed Opportunity While 63% of retailers believe AI will improve customer loyalty and 65% expect it to increase customer lifetime value, only 43% are currently using AI in customer-facing applications such as personalization, chatbots or tailored marketing experiences. In fact, just 23% are using AI in production to resolve customer identities or prepare data for marketing use, indicating significant untapped potential in customer engagement strategies. CDPs Are Accelerating AI Maturity Retailers with a customer data cloud (CDC) aren't just slightly ahead - they're moving at a different pace entirely: 60% of CDP-equipped retailers use AI daily or several times per week (vs. 29% without a CDP) 35% use AI in production to prepare data for marketing or analytics (vs. 9% without a CDP) 22% report full AI adoption across multiple business units (vs. 10%) These retailers are also far more confident in their ability to understand and act on customer behavior, reinforcing the CDP's role as a critical enabler of enterprise AI strategy. "This survey highlights a pivotal shift in retail: AI is moving decisively from experimentation to scaled execution. Retailers are leveraging AI to deliver more adaptive, personalized customer experiences powered by high-quality, unified customer data," said Tapan Patel, research director at IDC. "Retailers who integrate AI into core workflows—across supply chain, merchandising, and engagement—are setting the new standards for customer experience in an increasingly dynamic market." Data Gaps and Technical Barriers Persist Despite high levels of optimism, the report reveals several key barriers: 58% of respondents say their customer data is fragmented or incomplete 46% cite high costs of AI tools as a top challenge 35% note limited technical expertise Only 21% are "very confident" in their ability to understand and act on customer data. Amperity helps retailers close the gap between AI ambition and execution. By unifying fragmented customer data, resolving identities with precision, and making insights accessible across the business, Amperity gives retailers the AI-ready foundation they need to move faster and compete smarter. Built for enterprise scale and privacy-conscious activation, Amperity's Customer Data Cloud turns data into a growth engine—powering personalized experiences, smarter decisions, and measurable ROI. Get the full 2025 State of AI in Retail report to learn how leading retailers are using customer data to close the gap between AI potential and business results. About Amperity Amperity's Customer Data Cloud empowers brands to transform raw customer data into strategic business assets with unprecedented speed and accuracy. Through AI-powered identity resolution, customizable data models, and intelligent automation, Amperity helps technologists eliminate data bottlenecks and accelerate business impact. More than 400 leading brands worldwide, including Virgin Atlantic, Dr Martens, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Reckitt rely on Amperity to drive customer insights and revenue growth. Founded in 2016, Amperity operates globally with offices in Seattle, New York City, London, and Melbourne. For more information, visit or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Facebook and Instagram. View source version on Contacts Press Contact Andrea Mochermanpress@ +1 (206) 432-8302 Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Engadget
12 minutes ago
- Engadget
Google is bringing image and PDF uploads to AI Mode
Google is updating AI Mode on desktop this week with the ability to process images, so you can ask it detailed questions about the pictures like you already can on mobile. In the coming weeks, the company is also adding support for PDF uploads on desktop in the US, which could help you digest lengthy course or work materials. You can ask AI Mode to summarize the documents for you and ask follow-up questions that it will then answer by cross-referencing the materials you uploaded with information available on the web. Google says AI Mode's responses will also include links to its references that you can visit in order to dig deeper. AI Mode will support additional file types for upload, including ones straight from your Google Drive, in the coming months as well. In addition to PDF upload support, Google is also rolling out a new Canvas feature that you can access if you're enrolled in the AI Mode Labs experiment in the US. You can use Canvas to consolidate all relevant information about a specific topic or for a specific purpose in a side panel that updates as you ask AI Mode more follow-up questions. If you're traveling, for instance, you can ask AI Mode to make you an itinerary and click the Create Canvas button. You'll be able to keep refining the itinerary with more questions, and you can always leave it alone for a while and come back to it later. AI Mode's Search Live is also getting video input on mobile this week, a feature Google announced at I/O 2025, after voice input arrived in June. To be able to access video input, you'll have to open Lens in the Google app and tap the Live icon before asking questions on what the camera sees. When Google revealed the feature during its annual developers' event, it said you could point the camera at a math problem, for example, and ask Search to help you solve it or to explain a concept you're having trouble understanding. Finally, with Lens in Chrome, you'll be able to ask AI Mode what's on your desktop screen. The company will roll out an "Ask Google about this page" dropdown option in the address bar "soon." When you click on it, AI Mode will create an overview with key information on what's being shown on your screen, whether it's a web page or a PDF.
Digital Trends
12 minutes ago
- Digital Trends
Google's AI Mode is quietly turning search into a productivity tool
Google Search has been one of the primary gateways to information on the internet, but it's about to evolving into something more. With the latest set of features being added to AI Mode, Search will no longer be just a tool for finding links or information, but an assistant that can help you organize, understand, and act on that information. Instead of just answering questions, AI Mode is being transformed into what seems to be a helpful workspace. It will soon support you through complex documents, explain visuals, and even help with multi-step tasks. With the addition of these new tools, Google is slowly changing how search works by helping you do more than just find information. What's new in AI Mode A handful of new capabilities are being introduced that expand what AI Mode can do particularly on desktop browsers, where users often juggle multiple tabs, files, and formats during more complex workflows. PDF and image uploads for context-aware queries AI Mode on desktop will now support uploading PDFs and images which will allow users to ask questions about the content in those files and receive web-informed, AI-generated responses. Recommended Videos Imagine having a research report or technical manual in front of you. Instead of searching for terms manually, you can now upload the file, highlight a section, and ask, 'Can you explain this further?' The AI will analyze the document and return contextually relevant explanations, along with links for deeper reading. Support for additional file types, including those from Google Drive, is expected in future updates expanding this capability to more kinds of content. Canvas for task planning and organization Another interesting addition is Canvas, that allows users to create and refine plans in a persistent, editable side panel. It's a tool designed for tasks that span multiple sessions like project planning, research outlines, trip itineraries, and more. The system will let you iterate in real time, ask AI Mode to draft a plan, make changes through follow-up prompts, and organize the results visually in the side panel. Users will also be able to upload their own files, like meeting notes, to help personalize the output. Canvas essentially helps you stay organized and make progress across sessions, documents, and devices. Search Live: AI conversations with visual input Perhaps the most technically ambitious update is Search Live, which integrates Google's camera-based Lens tool with AI Mode to deliver real-time, conversational help based on what your camera sees. Whether it's a diagram, a schematic, or a physical object, you can point your phone's camera at it and start a conversation. The AI interprets the visual data, offers insights, and even lets you refine questions, creating a kind of live tutoring or troubleshooting session, powered by AI and the web. This feature is based on Google's Project Astra work, and is being rolled out on mobile in the U.S. for users enrolled in the Labs experiment. AI Mode in Chrome: Smarter browsing, fewer tabs For desktop users, AI Mode is getting more closely integrated into Chrome. Soon, you will be able to click 'Ask Google about this page' from the address bar, which will launch Lens and the AI assistant to help you understand whatever is on your screen, whether it is a complex chart, a technical section, or a difficult diagram. You can even ask follow-up questions directly in the side panel, making it easier to explore a topic without switching tabs or starting a new search. This could change how people interact with web content and with Google itself. A more useful, less interruptive AI? There's no shortage of AI tools that come with a promise to boost productivity. But where many require a full switch of platforms or behavior, AI Mode is being embedded into existing habits including Search, Chrome, and Lens. Rather than pitching itself as a digital co-pilot or assistant with a personality, Google is trying to make AI Mode feel more like a context-aware layer for everyday digital tasks. Upload a file, ask a question, build a plan, check in later, all within the browser or the search bar. Google says that it is gradually rolling out these features to AI Mode, with some already available in early access for users who have joined the AI Mode Labs program.
