Fleet Feet Launches New Tech to Offer Personalized Footwear Products
Fleet Feet is launching integrated dynamic pressure mapping as part of the brand's in-store outfitting experience, fit id, in phases at Fleet Feet locations across the country beginning this month.
The integration, which includes both pressure mapping software and hardware, creates the ability for Fleet Feet to offer individualized footwear solutions for customers that are both personalized off of biometric data captured in store and account for differences between the left and right foot.
The launch marks a milestone of a collaborative initiative between Fleet Feet and Volumental, the footwear technology company behind Fleet Feet's in-store 3D foot scanner; Superfeet, the premium insole brand; and Superfeet's partnership with HP, which provides an end-to-end solution for data scanning (via HP's Fitstation platform) and personalized insole production (with HP's Jet Fusion 3D printers).
"Our partnerships with both Superfeet and Volumental have allowed us to provide the best customer-centric experiences, products, and footwear solutions, and today marks another huge step forward in continuing to do so," says Joey Pointer, CEO and president of Fleet Feet.
"That said, this huge step would not be possible if we didn't have the most passionate and professional outfitters working at Fleet Feet. Our outfitters work tirelessly to serve our customers and continue to do so while adjusting to all that has changed about retail over the past several months. They have been invaluable in providing feedback and insight to make this integration retail-ready, customer-centric, and ready for launch across the brand."
The dynamic pressure mapping platform measures unique foot path and weight distribution of each foot as an individual walks across a three-and-a-half-foot long force plate. Within seconds, Fleet Feet outfitters are able to capture and share that data with the customer using an iPad.
Paired with the 3D foot scanning platform—and the 12 unique data points it captures relative to size and shape— offered in store since 2017, the dynamic pressure mapping gives Fleet Feet the ability to offer Superfeet's ME3D line of personalized insoles to the customer. Superfeet use the 3D and pressure mapping data to print each ME3D insole in its U.S. manufacturing facility and ship to the customer.
"We are thrilled and proud to bring our ME3D line of personalized insoles and footwear to Fleet Feet customers throughout the country," said Matt Gooch, director of product and innovation at Superfeet. "The collaboration is a step forward in our mission to utilize technology that enables Superfeet products to make a positive difference in people's lives by delivering the best underfoot experience possible."
In addition to insoles, Fleet Feet will offer Superfeet ME3D custom Aftersport recovery slides utilizing the same data and process as the insoles. Customers will have the ability to order slides through Fleet Feet later this year.