Not only is Flex the most flexible Shopify theme Out of the Sandbox has ever created, it also comes with a whopping 12 “styles” — and, unlike most other Shopify themes, you can import the styles — in full — including all the images and placeholder content.
This makes it a snap to get started using Flex and getting your store to look just like that drool-worthy design you saw on our demo stores.
Of course, your theme is still incredibly flexible, so you can always tweak the look, upload your own images and text and change colors and fonts to your heart’s content.
The key to picking which Flex style to start with is to look at features such as the basic layout, styling of elements such as headers, navigation, buttons and more.
Ultimately, picking one that will lay the best foundation before you start customizing is typically the best route to go.
That said, keep an open mind when checking out all the options — even if the color schemes or fonts aren’t exactly to your liking or a good fit for your brand, it’s also fairly easy to drastically change the look with just a few adjustments.
Installing Flex and its styles
Installing Flex is slightly different than installing other themes.
When you purchase Flex, you’ll get a large, single zip archive file called “unzip-for-flex.zip.” You’ll need to decompress (or “unzip” it) — which will create a new folder on your computer called “Welcome to Flex.”
Under this folder are 13 additional zip archives — one for each style as well as the “blank slate” version of Flex if you want to start that way.
Full instructions and more details are outlined here.
If you’re trying to get started with Flex and get an error message, you might be trying to upload the “unzip-for-flex.zip” file instead of the individual style.
How to get the images
Because of how Shopify handles images, you will need to download and upload the image files used in each style separately. It’s easy to do and we have the full instructions and links here.
A look at the Flex Shopify theme’s styles
Here’s a brief overview of all 12 styles that come with your purchase of the Flex Shopify theme as well as some suggested uses:
- Techno: A dark and elegant look accented with bold blues and violets. As its name suggests, it’s a great option for technology related sites, but could also be great for high fashion, gourmet food or selling digital artwork. It also could be a good choice for emerging products such as CBD, vaping and the like.
- Wink: Bright boxes of color accented with lighter shades create a dynamic, eye-catching look. It’s great for selling eyewear like our demo store but could also be great for fashion, accessories, beauty, handmade goods, or even gadgets and gizmos. Wink could also be a fun option for anyone selling to young kids — or the young at heart.
- Nourish: Bold, simple and effective, Nourish lets your imagery and text stand out. It’s great not only for food stores, but fashion, beauty or technology.
- Glow: Glow goes vertical — using Flex’s sidebar navigation option to create a unique look. It’s also clean and simple with pops of color, making it great for beauty stores as well as any store that wants to put imagery at the top of the page on larger screens.
- Trending: This style mixes the feel of a social media feed or “photo collage” with clearly delineated boxes and sections. Not only is it ideal for apparel, it would also make a great look for jewelry, accessories or anything meant for millennials. That said, its strong grid based layout could also make it great for tech or or B2B stores.
- Swagger: Big, bold and fun — with a bit of an edge — is a great way to describe the Swagger option. Not only is it good for shoes (or any products that look great against white backgrounds), it’s also a great pick for selling technology, emerging product lines or kids products.
- Emporium: Emporium is a great starting point for larger stores — with its search-centric navigation bar and ability to handle a wide variety of product photography easily. It’s also a great option for handmade goods, furniture, home goods, or fashion.
- Studio: Here’s another vertical navigation design. Studio uses a friendly but sophisticated rose and beige color scheme that’s both subtle and eye-catching at the same time. It’s a great pick for framed prints, as shown in the demo store, as well as high end health and beauty products, handcrafted products and more.
- Moda: Another style featuring vertical navigation, Moda blends solid gray boxes with bold color accents, making it a great pick for trendy fashion. It’s also a great choice for children’s or baby products, vintage-style handmade goods or fashion, or even technology.
- Luxe: Decidedly elegant and upscale, Luxe’s generous spacing and finely crafted typography make it a great choice for high end products such as fashion, style, beauty and jewelry. Viewed another way, it could also be a great way to sell handcrafted goods, gourmet food or anything else that needs an elegant, clean look.
- Fresh: Fun and bold. That’s how Fresh would best be described. Not only does this theme look great with a bright and varied color palette, but its unique product page lets you put product photos first and foremost. Fresh is a great pick for fashion, beauty, children’s products and more.
- Bloom: Straightforward and solid, Bloom is a versatile and broad style. By default, it also uses oversized product photos — so it’s perfect for intricate products with high quality photography. It also blends a search bar with traditional navigation, making it a great pick for medium to large sized stores.
However, if you’re more content by having a clean slate to build your vision, the 13th version file included will load Flex in the way you’re more accustomed to seeing after installing a Shopify theme.
