Free theme that has a product side bar that lists product categories and not just filters?

Store Design
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1

Is there a free theme available that has a side bar in the products section that displays all of the other product categories in the side bar?

I am using the Dawn theme right now and it seems like it only displays the filter options in the side bar when viewing a specific product category. To view another product category, I would have to go to the top menu bar and navigate to another category.

I want something similar to what Nike has on their website. The theme Warehouse has this option, but is a paid theme. I was looking to see if there was a free theme that might be able to do it.

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2

Hi @zabazaba

You can show categories in the sidebar in the Dawn theme as well. For that, you’ll need to edit some file and add below code.

Go to Dashboard → Online Store → Edit code

Add the code below after around line 113 in facets.liquid (see screenshot).

      {%- if section.settings.menu != blank -%}
                      <div class="other-categories" style="padding-bottom:1.5rem">
                      <span>Other Categories</span>
                      <ul class="filter-sidebar-menu list-unstyled">
                      {%- for link in section.settings.menu.links -%}
                      <li>
                      <a
                      href="{{ link.url }}"
                      class="link link--text list-menu__item list-menu__item--link{% if link.active %} list-menu__item--active{% endif %}"
                      >
                      {{ link.title | escape }}
                      </a>
                      </li>
                      {%- endfor -%}
                      </ul>
                      </div>
                  {%- endif -%}

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Then add the schema code in the file main-collection-product-grid.liquid, under the schema section (around line 377, or you can search for id: “filter_type”). Please copy the code carefully.

 {
    "type": "link_list",
    "id": "menu",
    "label": "t:sections.footer.blocks.link_list.settings.menu.label"
    },

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This will create a new field in Customize under the collection page template where you can select a menu. see screenshot

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Next, go to Content → Menus, create a new menu, and add all your categories there. Then select this menu in Customize.

If everything is done correctly, the category menu will start showing in the filter sidebar.

If you face any issues, we can help you as well. You can contact us directly by clicking on my profile or share collaborator code in private.

Thank You

3

You’re not missing anything — this is actually a limitation of the Dawn theme and most free Shopify themes.

Dawn (and many Online Store 2.0 themes) only supports sidebar filtering on collection pages, not a persistent category navigation sidebar like what you see on Nike. That kind of layout is usually built into specific themes or added through customization.

Here are a few options you can consider:

  1. Free theme option: The Venture theme (if still available in your theme library) is one of the few free themes that supports a sidebar-style navigation for larger catalogs.

  2. Customization: You can add a sidebar category menu to Dawn by creating a custom section (like a sidebar.liquid file) and linking your collections there. This requires some Liquid/CSS editing but gives you full control. ()

  3. App solution: You can use a free app like a sidebar menu/navigation app to display collections and categories in a sidebar without coding. ()

In most cases, if you want a Nike-style experience (persistent category navigation + filters), you’ll either need a paid theme like Warehouse or a custom-built solution.

If you want to keep Dawn, I’d recommend going the customization route — it’s the best balance between flexibility and cost.