Superfeet makes insoles for just about any activity out there: casual, hunting, running, snow sports and more. That won’t be changing in 2017, but plenty of other things will.
For starters, Superfeet now offer a full lineup of men’s and women’s shoes and light boot styles. These are geared more toward daily life, not outdoor activities; however, everyone needs casual shoes. Superfeet’s designs are modern, and promise to be comfortable thanks to the cork insoles inside every pair. But, the biggest news at their booth wasn’t about footwear; it’s about a whole new way of shopping for your next sneakers.
Superfeet introduced their 3D foot modeling system, and I got to take it for a test ride. I removed my boots and socks (sorry to everyone at the booth for that atrocity), and took a few strides across a high-tech machine that read my tread pattern. After that, each foot was scanned by itself to produce a final 3D image on a computer screen. The 3D model of my feet was also accompanied by my personal specs. The whole operation took only a few minutes to complete, and I was amazed at the 3D image created; extremely detailed, down to my specific arch size.
Why go through all this trouble? To get the perfect pair of boots/shoes/heels or whatever footwear is on your list. Picture this scenario: you walk into your favorite shoe retailer, scan your feet, and a list of brands that best fit your foot is generated. That’s right, Superfeet won’t just recommend their shoes, they will recommend any brand in the given store that matches your feet. Additionally, your “foot profile” will be saved for future use, and can be added to or tweaked with every footwear purchase.
Surely many folks will find this to be overkill; after all, we’ve been buying shoes for years and probably have a good idea of what brands we like. But, if the 3D model can help me find a better fitting hiking boot, well, personally I am all for it. The technology will be available in select retailers in late 2017, with plans to expand into more locations in years to come.