How Important Is The Perfect Shoe?
from the if-the-shoe-fits dept
Back during the bubble years, there was a popular online shoe store called Customatix that would make you a pair of custom shoes. It eventually went away, but apparently the idea of custom shoes is coming back again -- with a slightly different twist. It's based on a laser scan of your foot in order to get the perfect fit. Going beyond just the laser scan, the system also asks people to perform certain exercises wearing a special insole to record how your foot moves. Based on all of that data a shoe is then printed, using 3D printing techniques. The initial focus is for professional soccer players, helping them avoid injury with better shoes. It certainly involves a number of technology advances, but you have to wonder how big a market there is for the perfect shoe. While professional athletes obviously value staying healthy quite a bit, it would seem that the average shoe wearer is fine with the "good enough" shoes they can buy off the shelf today.
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in thread ]
No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in thread ]
good enough?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Climbing Shoes
Problem is with most footwear is that the foot isn't always the same static shape. What might feel comfy sitting down or walking around the 3D printed custom shoe store trying them on, might not feel to great after a few hours of walking, when your feet have swollen up to the next shoe size or two.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
I would love...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
oh, no! i've got happy feet!
"made in china good enough" rubbish -
go for the custom comfortable shoes,
to insure happy feet.
And if you have fallen archs (aka flat feet)*,
this should also work wonders for your attitude,
and your ball room dancing ability**.
* hey, they kept me out of 'NAM - (that and being 10 at the time).
** though, i can still only do the foxtrot,
but that's a general coordination issue.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Custom fit shoes and more
Think further ahead - custom fit clothes from a saved laser scan....I know Levis has tried it, maybe others - that would be great, too.
Get scanned. Go to a website & submit your scan, get a suit or something in a couple of weeks...there are already variations of this that depend on you taking exact measurements yourself at home & plugging them in a website.
to me, nice use...not mis-use.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Customatix
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Climbing Shoes
[ link to this | view in thread ]
No Subject Given
I don't think I'd be up for having my feet laser measured, but I'd measure them myself and input the data into a webpage.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Ignorance is bliss
[ link to this | view in thread ]
The Perfect Shoe
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Custom Shoes
The computerized portion of this business is pretty new, about three years old. It is impressive technology, but not something that has seem to made it into the mainstream. It will be interesting to see how this technology fares, and whether or not people will want to plunk down the extra cash for this luxury.
[ link to this | view in thread ]
No Subject Given
If this technology becomes more mainstream than just professional footballers (!) then I think it would be great!
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Want Mickey Mouse Ears on That?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
You can already get those...
[ link to this | view in thread ]
'boots'
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Well the opposite sex disagrees
Hey that's all great for you but you're a guy. The reality is that in woman's shoes it is totally expected that shoes that look good will kill your feet. The only "comfortable" options are ugly granny shoes! I've even ventured into $200 - $300 shoes & boots and you know what... those kill your feet even worse than the cheap ones! Do you know how much I'd be willing to pay for a great looking pair of high heels that were a dream to walk in?!?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Well (some of) the opposite sex disagrees
You know I hear this complaint from other girls ALL the time.
I wear heels, usually in the neighborhood of 3 inches, all day, everyday � and they do not bother me significantly.
And I walk a significant amount, not like a nurse, but a little over 2 miles a day if my pedometer is to be believed.
I have done this job for almost 5 years now � I don�t have back problems, I don�t have corns, or other problems that I am aware of.
I wear shoes from a variety of designers, and made of all sorts of different materials...
There are 2 tricks to this seemingly miraculous feat I pull off on a regular basis.
First, learn to walk in heels. Most girls I see, walk in heels like men in work boots. It is not attractive, and it is not comfortable.
Second, buy the right size. Most of my friends, who complain about having to wear heels, wear shoes that are half a size or a size too small for them. It might bruise your ego to think that you are not a 7 � but admitting that you are a 10 will make your feet happy.
They are never going to be tennis shoes, but they should not hurt, and they certainly should not �kill your feet�
[ link to this | view in thread ]
No Subject Given
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Most Comfortable Shoes
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: Well the opposite sex disagrees
Most Comfortable Shoes
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: good enough?
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Re: No Subject Given
Checkout Italian Shoe Factory - We've been perfecting the art of custom shoemaking for more than 25 years now. We 3D scan your foot and hand make the shoes with the finest Italian materials available. Made to measure for each foot. Here's the website to learn more about the process (https://www.italianshoefactory.com/custom-shoes/)
[ link to this | view in thread ]
Tailor made Insoles shapecrunch most comfortable shoes I've wean for my foot pain
https://shapecrunch.com/product/
[ link to this | view in thread ]