AI Keeps Proving its Value to Me

[Nyghtfall3D]

I've been a foot fetishist all my life. My earliest memories of when I found myself starting to admire women's feet and shoes date back to when I was in the Cub Scouts. Our Den Mother frequently wore open-toed stiletto heels, and I covertly glanced down at them whenever opportunities presented themselves.

As a 3D artist for the last 20 years, I've been at the mercy of content creators to make and sell women's footwear. Unfortunately, I have a very narrow, highly developed fashion sense with regard to shoe design. Consequently, my collection of 3D-modeled high-heels numbers less than ten pair, only three of which I used even semi-regularly. Last month, SickleYield released a new pair of Knotted Strap Sandals for Genesis 9. I was cautiously looking forward to making them my fourth pair, but, to my great disappointment, they don't work with certain character morphs, and fail to retain their shape at the footbed when feet are bent more than a standing pose or twisted from side to side.

Thanks to my new ChatGPT / Nano Banana Pro workflow, I recently discovered that I can design and generate my own shoes, and use them in my projects. I can also take screenshots of real-world heels, and tweak them with AI to create my own looks. What's more, I can use the same process to create my own characters. The results look fucking amazing, and immediately became the final nail in the coffin on my 3D art hobby.

This first pair was taken from a test image I created while learning how to better describe slender, high-arched feet to NB Pro. Incidentally, I've learned more about foot anatomy than I ever imaged I would need to, but the results speak for themselves about the effectiveness of using highly specific descriptors and proper terms.

The first pair of heels came from testing foot descriptions. The woman's face was taken from a screenshot I took of my last AI video and turned into a headshot.

Screenshot


Headshot


Foot Test


New Reference Image

I liked the shoes NB Pro generated so much that I turned them into a refence image.


This next pair came from another foot test. I had also just learned how to describe women with a runway model physique.

Test Image


New Reference Image


I have a collection of foot and shoe pics I've amassed over the years. These were taken from one of them. I isolated the model's feet and generated this reference image from her shoes:


I've used this next pair in recent projects. The original product image is part of my shoe collection. As much as I love the design, I've always wanted to replace the top strap with straps that lace around the ankle. So, I used AI to tweak the design and turn my version into a reference image.

Original Product Photo


New Reference Image with Tweaked Design

The extra strap over the toe was NB's doing. I like it, so I went with it...


... and used them for a test image for a cinematic crime drama. The woman's face and hair were taken from another AI video I did.


I took these from another recently published project:


Finally, these are my first all original design. They don't exist anywhere. I love D'orsay style heels - closed heels with a single buckled strap - but I've often wished the heel counters reached higher up on the ankles. They tend to come up just to ankle-height, but seldom above the ankles, and I've never seen a pair with lace-up straps. So, I used ChatGPT and NB Pro to create my own:


I now have six pairs of high-heel stiletto sandals that I can use in any project, and no longer have to wait for 3D content creators to release a new pair of heels that I like.

 

[MCDesigns]

Awesome! I share your heel fetish so it's great to see these. I try prompting these types of heels also at times, but it;s hit or miss, probably because they are not the focus of the image.
I especially love the skin indentation from the straps

 

[MCDesigns]

So I am curious, how did you prompt those types of heels? I want to try it out in Zimage and see how close i get.

 

[Nyghtfall3D]

Sure thing! Have at it!

I've deleted my prompts for the other shoes, but this is was my original request to ChatGPT to design my own shoes:

Give me a prompt to generate an ultra realistic product photo of women’s shoes. They are sexy white d’orsay style high-heel sandals with a narrow closed heel and spaghetti thin straps that wrap around the ankles twice in two short tight stacks and tie off in back. The ends of the straps have metal aglets. The open toes are a separate component. They are spaghetti thin knotted open toes leaving toes mostly visible under the design. The heels are 5inch stilettos. The woman modeling them has low-volume slender aa wide feet with narrow dainty toes and pas cevas (high arches) and very high instep. I will be using nano banana pro to generate the image. I want ultra high details.

After several revisions of the prompts it gave me and design details, I used this one for the final draft:

Ultra-realistic luxury product photograph of white women’s D’Orsay high-heel sandals, shot in a high-end fashion editorial studio style.


The shoes feature 5-inch stiletto heels and a narrow closed heel counter that rises a full one inch above the back of the ankle, extending clearly behind and above the Achilles.


The top edge of the heel counter features a single, continuous, very slight scallop — one smooth, shallow curved arc centered at the back of the heel, minimal and architectural.


A slim connector loop is attached directly at the lowest point of this single curved scallop, centered on the heel counter’s top edge.


All ankle straps originate exclusively from this connector loop. From this point, spaghetti-thin white leather ankle straps wrap twice around the ankles in uneven, asymmetrical loops, overlapping organically. One loop sits slightly higher and tighter than the other, creating a stacked couture effect. The straps cross and overlap before tying off at the back, finished with polished metal aglets.


There are no straps over the top of the foot, instep, or vamp. The top of the foot remains completely exposed.


The only front-foot structure is the open toe, a separate delicate component made of spaghetti-thin knotted leather cords, positioned at the toes only and leaving most of the toes visible beneath the design.


Pose and framing: the model’s feet are angled so the toes are turned toward the camera, not straight ahead or parallel. The toe area is closest to the lens, with the heel slightly receding, creating depth and emphasizing the knotted toe construction and toe visibility.


Worn by an adult female model with low-volume, slender AA-width feet, narrow dainty toes, very high instep, and visible pas cevas tendon definition.


Toenails are painted in rich, deep burgundy nail polish, professionally applied, smooth, evenly coated, glossy but not mirror-like.


Shot as a luxury footwear product image on a neutral seamless background (soft ivory or light gray). Controlled studio lighting with subtle rim light emphasizes toe knots facing the camera, the single-curve heel scallop, connector loop placement, ankle strap overlap, aglets, arch curvature, and stiletto height.


Camera: full-frame DSLR look, 85mm lens, f/8, ultra-sharp focus, shallow perspective depth favoring the toe area, zero motion blur
Materials: realistic white leather grain, crisp edge definition along the scalloped heel counter, subtle tension creasing at the connector loop, soft satin-matte finish, lifelike skin texture, precise metallic highlights on aglets
Composition: three-quarter front-biased angle with toes angled toward the camera as the visual anchor
Mood: clean, sensual, editorial luxury, modern minimalist couture footwear campaign


Resolution: ultra-high detail, 8K realism, true-to-life proportions, no distortion

 

[MCDesigns]

Thanks, unfortunately it exceeds the 2400 character limit, LOL I'll play with some of your wording to see what I can piece together.
In the last image I just posted, I specified open toe and ankle strap, I got the ankle strap, LOL

 

[Nyghtfall3D]

Thanks, unfortunately it exceeds the 2400 character limi

D'oh! Thankfully, neither Gemini, nor Krea, have character limits - or if they do, I haven't encountered them yet.

I'll play with some of your wording to see what I can piece together.

In the last image I just posted, I specified open toe and ankle strap, I got the ankle strap, LOL

 

[TailsWin]

Nice. I've been wondering about something similar, not about shoes as much as the feet themselves. Would it be possible to train a model to generate specific feet shapes, like shorter or longer toes, high arch, or missing certain toes or whatever? Or alternatively, train it on wikifeet and then refer to specific celebs? With this kind of quality, it could be feasible, but probably only with some open source model, and those aren't quite at that level yet, I think.

Sometimes I goof around, but the results are pretty random, it would be nice to be able to zero in on a certain look. Then build a perfect girl from parts heh.

Ed: Yea I see you used descriptions in your prompt, question is if that's not just sort of the default shape that comes with modeling heels, or one can really go into specifics.

 

[Nyghtfall3D]

Would it be possible to train a model to generate specific feet shapes, like shorter or longer toes, high arch, or missing certain toes or whatever?

I don't know the first thing about training models, but I've spent most of the evening working more with ChatGPT to nail down how to best get shapely feet with high arches and insteps from NB Pro. I even asked asked it if using celebrity references would help. It said celebrity references are a double-edge sword depending on the context. LOL

I'm about to watch an action flick with my wife, but will share the info I've gathered in a few hours.

 

[TailsWin]

I really doubt that even NB could recognise and generate specific celeb's feet, but try I guess. I expect it'll just make up something nice but mostly random or in line with the usual default look.

Even descriptions are a rabbit hole. ChatGPT can't know what kind of training data NB has for such a specific case, it can only guess or look at what people already talk about. And then NB, if it's not specifically trained on toe shape and whatnot, can in return only guess what we want lol. But it's definitely pretty smart, considering it can take such detailed shoe descriptions, so maybe it can figure out more anatomical details too.

 

[Nyghtfall3D]

I really doubt that even NB could recognise and generate specific celeb's feet, but try I guess.

Welp, here was my question to GPT:

when describing how high arches and insteps on feet should be, does it help nano banana pro to reference a celebrity's feet in the prompt?

This was it's TLDR reply:

Short answer: sometimes—but it’s a double-edged sword.
Here’s how it plays with Nano Banana Pro specifically.

And the long version:

Does referencing a celebrity’s feet help?​

It can help, but only under certain conditions—and it should never replace anatomical description.

When it helps​

Referencing a celebrity can give the model a visual anchor for extreme traits it already “knows,” especially if the person is famous for their arches rather than just being famous.

Examples that sometimes work:

• Misty Copeland – very high arches, strong instep
• Natalia Osipova – pronounced instep curvature
• Irina Shayk – high-fashion foot proportions

This works best when paired with functional context, e.g. ballet, pointe work, runway posing.

When it doesn't​

• Celebrities aren’t labeled in the training data as “high-arched feet”—they’re labeled as people
• The model may:
  • Ignore the feet entirely
  • Average the trait down
  • Shift focus to face/body resemblance instead
• If the celebrity isn’t strongly associated with feet, the reference becomes noise

In other words:

“like X’s feet” ≠ “generate anatomically extreme arches”

What Nano Banana Pro responds to best​

Nano Banana Pro is far more literal than associative. It listens hardest to:

• Angles
• Bone visibility
• Functional biomechanics
• Comparisons to footwear or dance positions

You already do this well with things like:

• “97° plantar flexion”
• “visible metatarsal elevation”
• “sharp medial arch”
• “high instep crest”

That’s exactly the right language.

Best practice (this is the sweet spot )​

If you do use a celebrity reference, do it after the anatomy—not instead of it.

Example:

“Feet with an extremely high medial arch and pronounced instep crest, visible metatarsal separation, ballet-level plantar flexion (97°), similar in arch height to elite ballet dancers (e.g., Misty Copeland), but anatomically realistic and not stylized.”

This way:

• The numbers + anatomy do the real work
• The celebrity reference just nudges the ceiling higher

It then offered this:

If you want, I can:

• Translate your existing foot descriptions into a Nano Banana–optimized micro-template
• Rank which descriptors actually increase arch height vs which ones are ignored
• Or help you build a “ceiling-pushing” version that still stays realistic

You’re already speaking its language—this is just fine-tuning.

So I had it translate my existing prompts into a NB Pro-optimized micro-template and rank which descriptors actually increase arch height vs which ones are ignored. This is what it spit out:

Nano Banana–Optimized Foot Micro-Template​

(Use this verbatim, then tweak numbers if needed)

Feet are low-volume and slender (AA width), with an extremely high medial arch and a sharply elevated instep crest.
The arch forms a deep concave curve with clear negative space beneath the midfoot.
Prominent dorsal instep ridge with visible extensor tendons.
Distinct metatarsal lift and separation, especially at the first and second metatarsals.
Calcaneus and heel remain narrow while the midfoot rises steeply.
Feet are plantar-flexed to 96–98°, toes forced into a tense ballet-style tendu.
Anatomically realistic bone structure, not stylized or cartoonish.

Optional “ceiling push” add-ons (use sparingly)

Elite ballet biomechanics, pointe-level arch height.
High instep comparable to professional ballet dancers.

Rule: Anatomy → mechanics → angle → realism disclaimer
That order matters.

Descriptor Effectiveness Ranking​

ACTUALLY INCREASE ARCH & INSTEP HEIGHT (High Impact)​

These directly influence geometry. Use multiple from this tier.

Tier A – Structural (strongest)

1. “Extremely high medial arch”
2. “Pronounced / sharply elevated instep crest”
3. “Deep concave curve beneath the midfoot”
4. “Clear negative space under the arch”
5. “Steep midfoot rise”

Tier B – Mechanical / Functional
6. “Plantar-flexed to 96–98°”
7. “Ballet-style tendu”
8. “Pointe-level biomechanics”
9. “Visible metatarsal lift / separation”

These tell the model how the arch is formed, not just that it exists.

SUPPORTING DETAIL (Moderate Impact)​

These reinforce height but won’t create it alone.

1. “Low-volume foot”
2. “AA width”
3. “Narrow calcaneus / heel”
4. “Visible extensor tendons”
5. “Slender ankles”

Think of these as sharpeners, not generators.

MOSTLY IGNORED / COSMETIC (Low Impact)\​

These rarely affect arch height directly.

1. “Slender toes”
2. “Pale skin” / “realistic skin texture”
3. “Elegant” / “graceful”
4. Celebrity references (by themselves)
5. Shoe brand or heel height alone

They’re fine for realism—but they won’t push the arch.

Common Mistake (and How You Avoid It)​

Mistake:

“High arches, elegant feet, dancer-like”

Correct:

“Extremely high medial arch with deep negative space beneath the midfoot, steep instep crest, plantar-flexed to 97° in a forced tendu”

You already lean toward the second—this just formalizes it.

One-Line “Max Arch” Booster (Drop-In)​

If you ever need a single nuclear sentence:

Feet exhibit an extreme ballet-level medial arch with deep concavity beneath the midfoot, sharply elevated instep crest, visible metatarsal lift, and forced 97° plantar flexion.

Then, it offered:

If you want next:

• I can convert your past prompts into “Tier-A-only” versions
• Or build three presets: High, Extreme, Physiologically Maxed
• Or tune descriptors differently for bare feet vs heels vs sandals

I had it do all three:

Got it. I’ll keep this purely technical and generator-focused—no scene content, no narrative, just Tier-A anatomy control you can drop into any prompt.


Below are (1) Tier-A–only conversions, (2) three calibrated presets, and (3) surface-specific tuning for bare feet vs heels vs sandals. This is about geometry control, not vibes.

Tier-A–Only Conversion (Clean, Aggressive, Minimal)​

This is what your past prompts collapse into when stripped to only descriptors that actually change arch height.

Tier-A Core Block (use verbatim)​

Feet exhibit an extreme medial arch with a deep concave curve and clear negative space beneath the midfoot.
The instep crest is sharply elevated, forming a steep dorsal ridge.
The midfoot rises abruptly while the heel remains narrow.
Distinct metatarsal lift is visible, especially through the first and second metatarsals.
Feet are plantar-flexed to 97°, toes forced into a tense ballet-style tendu.
Anatomically realistic skeletal structure.

Nothing else is required to hit maximum arch height in Nano Banana Pro.

Three Presets (Dial-Controlled)​

Use only one preset at a time. Mixing them blurs results.

PRESET 1 —​

Use when: you want visibly high arches without pushing anatomical limits.

Feet show a pronounced medial arch with a defined concave curve beneath the midfoot.
The instep crest is clearly elevated.
Moderate metatarsal lift is visible.
Feet are plantar-flexed to approximately 92–94°.
Anatomically realistic proportions.

Result:
✔ High arches
✘ No extreme exaggeration
✔ Safest for commercial realism

PRESET 2 —​

This is your sweet spot.

Feet exhibit an extreme medial arch with deep concavity and clear negative space beneath the midfoot.
The instep crest is sharply elevated, forming a steep dorsal ridge.
Distinct metatarsal lift is visible across the forefoot.
The midfoot rises abruptly while the heel remains narrow.
Feet are plantar-flexed to 96–98°, toes forced into a tense ballet-style tendu.
Anatomically realistic bone structure.

Result:
✔ Maximum believable arch
✔ Strong silhouette
✔ Nano Banana Pro responds VERY reliably here

PRESET 3 —​

Use sparingly. This pushes the model right to the edge without breaking realism.


Feet display an extreme ballet-level medial arch with a deep concave curve and pronounced negative space beneath the midfoot.
The instep crest is sharply elevated to pointe-level height.
Strong metatarsal lift is visible, especially at the first ray.
The midfoot rises steeply from a narrow heel.
Feet are forced into 97–99° plantar flexion, toes held in a strained tendu.
Anatomically realistic skeletal limits, not stylized.

Result:
✔ Tallest arches Nano Banana can render consistently
⚠ Use “realistic skeletal limits” to prevent cartooning

Surface-Specific Tuning\​

Nano Banana changes how it “builds” the arch depending on what’s touching the foot. You must cue it differently.

BARE FEET (Most Control, Most Detail)​

Bare feet reveal structure—lean into negative space + metatarsals.

Add this line to any preset:

Arch height is emphasized by visible negative space beneath the midfoot and exposed metatarsal structure.

What works best:

• “negative space”
• “concave curve”
• “metatarsal lift”

Avoid: shoe language, elegance terms

HIGH HEELS (Arch Must Be Forced)​

Heels hide arches unless you force the biomechanics.

Add this line:

Despite heel elevation, the medial arch remains extremely pronounced, with visible instep curvature above the shoe line.

Critical additions:

• Always include plantar-flexion degrees
• Always include instep crest

Without this: Nano Banana averages the arch down.

SANDALS (Trickiest Case)​

Sandals confuse the model unless you anchor what the straps reveal.

Add this line:

Open footwear exposes the midfoot, clearly revealing the deep medial arch and sharply elevated instep crest.

Best strap-aware cues:

• “exposed midfoot”
• “visible arch curvature above straps”
• “instep crest rising above sandal line”

Avoid: focusing on straps before arch description

One-Line Overrides (Emergency Fixes)​

If Nano Banana under-delivers, drop one of these after the foot description:

• Arch too low
  - Force extreme medial arch height with deep negative space beneath the midfoot.
• Instep too flat
  - Increase dorsal instep elevation with a sharply defined crest.
• Foot looks average]
  - Do not average foot anatomy; maintain extreme arch geometry.

Final Truth (Quiet but Important)​

Nano Banana does not “imagine arches.”
It constructs them from geometry cues.

If you give it:

• concavity
• elevation
• angle
• structural realism

…it will comply every time.

It also offered:

If you want next:

• A macro preset that controls arch height across multiple shots
• A negative-prompt blacklist that prevents flattening
• Or shot-distance tuning (wide vs macro vs profile)

I had it do all three:

ARCH-HEIGHT MACRO PRESET​

(Use once at the top of a prompt or reuse across multiple generations)

This acts like a global constraint so the model stops “forgetting” the arch.

Foot anatomy priority: maintain extreme medial arch geometry across all shots.
Feet must retain a deep concave arch with clear negative space beneath the midfoot, a sharply elevated instep crest, and visible metatarsal lift regardless of pose, footwear, or camera distance.
Do not average or soften foot anatomy between frames.
Anatomically realistic skeletal limits only.

Use this before any scene or camera language.
Especially useful for multi-image sequences or iterative rerolls.

NEGATIVE-PROMPT BACKLIST (ANTI-FLATTENING)​

(This prevents Nano Banana’s most common failure modes)

Add this as a negative / exclusion block:

Exclude flat feet, low arches, shallow insteps, average foot anatomy, generic feet, soft midfoot contours, collapsed arches, straight foot profiles, blocky feet, cartoon proportions, stylized exaggeration, deformed anatomy.

Optional hard-stop (use only if needed):

Do not reduce arch height or instep elevation under any circumstances.

This is especially important when:

• Sandals are involved
• The camera pulls back
• The model tries to “beautify” instead of anatomize

SHOT DISTANCE TUNING (Critical and Often Ignored)​

Nano Banana changes anatomy based on framing. These overrides keep arches tall at every distance.

MACRO / CLOSE-UP (Feet Dominant)

Close-up framing emphasizes foot skeletal structure.
Deep negative space beneath the midfoot is clearly visible.
The medial arch forms a steep concave curve with a sharply elevated instep crest.
Metatarsal lift is clearly defined.

Works extremely well
No angle needed—structure carries the shot

MEDIUM / PROFILE SHOT (Most Common Failure Zone)

Profile view clearly reveals extreme medial arch height and steep instep curvature.
The midfoot rises sharply from a narrow heel, maintaining visible concavity even at mid-distance.

Profile + concavity language is mandatory here.

WIDE / FULL-BODY SHOT (Highest Risk)

Even in wide framing, foot anatomy remains visibly extreme.
The medial arch and instep elevation are still clearly readable in silhouette.
Do not simplify or flatten foot geometry due to distance.

Without this, Nano Banana will average the feet.

HOW TO STACK (Recommended Order)​

If you want maximum reliability, stack like this:

1. Macro Preset
2. Tier preset (High / Extreme / Physiological Max)
3. Surface tuning (bare / heels / sandals)
4. Shot-distance override
5. Negative blacklist

That’s the full control pipeline.

Quiet Truth (but important)​

Nano Banana doesn’t “remember” arches.
You have to reassert geometry whenever context changes:

• camera distance
• footwear
• pose

You now have tools for all three.

 

[TailsWin]

That sounds reasonable, but it's hard to tell if it's from actual data or user experience regarding NB, or it's just guessing. LLMs tend to overestimate other models' capabilities. But NB is part of Google's Gemini group, which also have science-focused variants, and apparently it can even use online search in real time? Here's a nice paper on it (pdf). So maybe I'm underestimating it.

If you're up to it, I'd ask it to come up with two distinct descriptions that should give quite different results (not just arch height, but toe shape and whatnot) and see if NB can follow those instructions, even with the same shoe and pedi. That would tell us how much NB actually recognises. I don't really know much about podiatry to come up with exact anatomical terms.

Of course it's your time and credits, so you have no obligation to quench my curiosity.