Picking a theme is the biggest decision you'll make for a new Shopify store. It shapes speed, design freedom and how much custom code you'll need later.
Insist on Online Store 2.0
2.0 themes let you add sections to every page and use app blocks, so you can change layouts without code.
Check performance
Check the theme demo in Shopify's speed report and avoid themes that load lots of extra scripts.
Look at the changelog
Frequent, recent updates are the best sign a theme will stay compatible with future Shopify updates.
