diff --git a/src/spatialdata/_core/spatialdata.py b/src/spatialdata/_core/spatialdata.py
index 48f6386c..77844fcd 100644
--- a/src/spatialdata/_core/spatialdata.py
+++ b/src/spatialdata/_core/spatialdata.py
@@ -1179,6 +1179,7 @@ def write(
         overwrite: bool = False,
         consolidate_metadata: bool = True,
         format: SpatialDataFormat | list[SpatialDataFormat] | None = None,
+        shapes_geometry_encoding: Literal["WKB", "geoarrow"] = "WKB",
     ) -> None:
         """
         Write the `SpatialData` object to a Zarr store.
@@ -1223,6 +1224,7 @@ def write(
                 element_name=element_name,
                 overwrite=False,
                 format=format,
+                shapes_geometry_encoding=shapes_geometry_encoding,
             )
 
         if self.path != file_path:
@@ -1241,6 +1243,7 @@ def _write_element(
         element_name: str,
         overwrite: bool,
         format: SpatialDataFormat | list[SpatialDataFormat] | None = None,
+        shapes_geometry_encoding: Literal["WKB", "geoarrow"] = "WKB",
     ) -> None:
         if not isinstance(zarr_container_path, Path):
             raise ValueError(
@@ -1266,7 +1269,13 @@ def _write_element(
         elif element_type == "points":
             write_points(points=element, group=element_type_group, name=element_name, format=parsed["points"])
         elif element_type == "shapes":
-            write_shapes(shapes=element, group=element_type_group, name=element_name, format=parsed["shapes"])
+            write_shapes(
+                shapes=element,
+                group=element_type_group,
+                name=element_name,
+                format=parsed["shapes"],
+                geometry_encoding=shapes_geometry_encoding,
+            )
         elif element_type == "tables":
             write_table(table=element, group=element_type_group, name=element_name, format=parsed["tables"])
         else:
diff --git a/src/spatialdata/_io/io_shapes.py b/src/spatialdata/_io/io_shapes.py
index c32ce1f3..fc57b436 100644
--- a/src/spatialdata/_io/io_shapes.py
+++ b/src/spatialdata/_io/io_shapes.py
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 from collections.abc import MutableMapping
 from pathlib import Path
+from typing import Literal
 
 import numpy as np
 import zarr
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@ def write_shapes(
     name: str,
     group_type: str = "ngff:shapes",
     format: Format = CurrentShapesFormat(),
+    geometry_encoding: Literal["WKB", "geoarrow"] = "WKB",
 ) -> None:
     import numcodecs
 
@@ -94,7 +96,7 @@ def write_shapes(
         attrs["version"] = format.spatialdata_format_version
     elif isinstance(format, ShapesFormatV02):
         path = Path(shapes_group._store.path) / shapes_group.path / "shapes.parquet"
-        shapes.to_parquet(path)
+        shapes.to_parquet(path, geometry_encoding=geometry_encoding)
 
         attrs = format.attrs_to_dict(shapes.attrs)
         attrs["version"] = format.spatialdata_format_version