How to be a good Shoe Pal.

1. Be respectful

Treat your pal the way you'd want to be treated. People using Shoepal often share situations they don't talk about with strangers. That openness depends on respect.

• Be polite. Disagreement is fine; rudeness isn't.
• Don't pressure a pal who's changed their mind, gone quiet, or said no.
• If a chat isn't working, end it politely or stop replying. Blocking is always an option.

2. Be honest

Pals make decisions based on what you tell them. Accuracy matters.

• Use real, accurate shoe sizes. Don't claim sizes you don't need to get more matches.
• Don't impersonate someone else or pretend to be a different person.
• Don't create multiple accounts for the same person. Use child profiles for children rather than separate accounts.
• Don't mislead pals about a swap — which shoe you'll buy, when you'll send it, the condition of the shoe.

3. Stay safe — and keep your pal safe

You're sharing details (sizes, address-for-shipping, sometimes meeting in person) with a stranger. Be sensible.

• Keep conversations inside Shoepal's chat until you're confident in your pal. We can't moderate WhatsApp.
• Don't share more personal information than you need to (phone number, full address, financial details). Sharing for a postal swap is fine; sharing without a clear reason isn't.
• Don't ask a pal for personal details they don't need to share. Their full address isn't required to chat.
• If you're meeting in person, choose a public place, tell someone you trust, and trust your instincts.
• Never share a child profile's details (sizes are fine; identifying information is not).
• If shoes are recalled. If you get a recall notice for shoes you've swapped, tell your pal in the chat. They have the other shoe from the pair. It only takes a minute, and it matters, especially for children's shoes.

4. Things that aren't allowed

The following behaviours violate these guidelines and can lead to action against your account, up to and including a permanent ban.

Harm to other members

• Harassment, bullying, intimidation, or repeated unwanted contact
• Hate speech or discrimination based on race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, age, or any other protected characteristic
• Threats of violence, real-world harm, or doxxing (publishing private information)
• Sexual messages, sexual imagery, or any sexual content directed at a pal who hasn't invited it
• Any sexual content involving children, in any form, ever
• Pornography
• Content encouraging or giving instructions for suicide, self-injury or eating disorders
• Content encouraging dangerous stunts or challenges, or taking harmful substances

Misuse of the platform

• Using Shoepal to sell shoes commercially, to advertise a business, or to promote other services
• Scamming, defrauding, or stealing from a pal — including keeping a pal's shoe and not sending yours
• Pretending to need different-sized shoes when you don't, in order to access the community
• Automated access (bots, scrapers) without our written permission

Illegal content

You may not use Shoepal to share, request, or promote content that is illegal in the UK. This includes — but isn't limited to:

• Child sexual abuse material, in any form
• Content that encourages or facilitates terrorism
• Threats to kill or cause serious harm
• Content that facilitates the supply of controlled drugs or illegal weapons
• Stolen goods or counterfeit items
• Content that incites violence against a person or group

5. How we enforce these guidelines

We use a combination of automated tools and human review.

• Automated moderation screens every chat message in real time. Messages that contain hate, threats, violence, instructions for self-harm, or sexual content involving children are blocked before they reach the recipient. Other flagged messages stay covered until the recipient chooses to read them.
• User reports are queued for human review. Anyone can report a pal from the chat menu or their profile; see “How to report” below.
• Human review. A real person reads every report and applies these guidelines and the Terms of Service. We look at reports as soon as we can, usually within 3 working days. If anyone is in immediate danger, contact the police or emergency services on 999.

Depending on what's found, we may put your account on hold, for a time or for good. Serious or repeated breaches may mean that happens without warning.

Illegal content is referred to the relevant authority where appropriate, including the National Crime Agency for child sexual abuse material and the police for credible threats to life.

6. How to report

In-app is the fastest route:

• Open the chat with the pal you want to report, or their profile if you haven't started a chat
• In a chat, tap the menu icon
• Choose Report, pick a reason, add any details, submit

You can also block a pal at the same time — recommended if you don't want any further contact. Blocked pals can't see you, message you, or appear in your matches.

For anything that doesn't fit the in-app flow — or for reports about safety issues outside an individual chat — email safety [at] shoepal.uk.

If you're struggling, you can talk to Samaritans for free at any time on 116 123, or call NHS 111 for urgent help with your mental health.

7. Appeals

If your account is suspended or banned and you believe the decision is wrong, you can appeal by emailing safety [at] shoepal.uk within 30 days. Include your account email and a brief explanation.

We'll look at the decision again carefully, along with anything you send us, and aim to reply within 14 days. One person runs Shoepal, so the same person who made the decision looks at it again.

If our automated screening blocked a message and you think that was wrong, you can email the same address.

8. Changes to these guidelines

These guidelines may change as Shoepal grows, as the law evolves, or as we learn from the community. We'll email existing members about material changes before they take effect. The current version always lives at this URL.

For the legal framework that sits behind these guidelines, see the Terms of Service. For how we handle your personal data, see the Privacy Policy.