Customized Footwear In Retail: Is This A Threat Or An Opportunity For Podiatry?

“Innovate or die” is a common phrase in the business world. In some business circles, “digitize or die” is rapidly becoming the replacement. Digital processes are starting to replace the highly manual processes of manufacturing to improve efficiencies in how products are manufactured and delivered to markets. Just as the internet disrupted how we share information and ride sharing disrupted transportation, digital technologies, we now can see additive manufacturing methods and artificial intelligence starting to change the fitting and customization of footwear.

The current paradigm of footwear manufacturing, from fitting to customizing, is undergoing significant change. Footwear manufacturers are not the only ones who have access to the technology that enables this evolution. Medical professionals, orthotic labs, retailers and really anyone who has an interest, including consumers themselves, now have the capability to produce elements of custom footwear. This “democratization” of manufacturing, as some have called it, will move manufacturing from large, remote factories to smaller, centralized and scalable mini-factories; even perhaps to clinics, retail stores, small businesses and homes.

These changes are moving manufacturing beyond mass production to mass customization of many consumer products. The footwear industry is on the leading edge of this change. In fact, an industry report cited an expectation that 3D-printed footwear will become the largest 3D-printed consumer product segment by 2029.¹ Granted, not all 3D-manufactured products are necessarily custom, but 3D printing is one technology that opens the door to customization. In my observation, this manufacturing evolution is not led solely by major manufacturers such as Nike^® and Adidas^®. I see other companies that aren’t known for footwear are also innovating in this space. Hewlett Packard (HP^®), Materialise and even unknown start-ups are pushing the boundaries of technology and manufacturing. Superfeet^®, in a partnership with HP and other technology companies, is at the forefront of the move toward custom footwear as well.

No one is manufacturing custom footwear on a mass scale yet, but the pieces that will enable the coming paradigm shift are falling into place. The move towards mass customization started with aesthetic personalization and limited customization for foot shape. Nike, Converse^® and others offer aesthetic customization currently. ECCO^® offers insole customization in their Copenhagen store on a limited basis. FitMyFoot (formerly known as Wiivv) offers custom insoles and sandals via a smartphone app.

At this time, custom insoles and orthoses lend themselves to customization much easier than customizing every element of a shoe; from the upper, to the foot bed, to the mid- and outsoles. Sandals, as the simplest form of footwear, are the starting point for the next step in the march toward total footwear customization. Sandal and insole/orthosis customization is here now and the rest will follow. An awareness of current capabilities and expected changes ahead is important in order to not only utilize them for patient benefit now, but to also anticipate how they may present opportunities and new challenges in the not-too-distant future.

Emerging Footwear Customization Technologies You Should Know 

Three technologies are coming together to enable the digital transition of manufacturing and customization. Scanners, additive manufacturing and artificial intelligence will continue to evolve their capabilities and become more accessible to all. Most industry experts agree that once smart phones with more accurate scanners become widely available, the market for customized consumer products will explode.

Scanners. Scanning is the gateway to mass customization. The lasers, structured light and stereophotogrammetric scanners, while very accurate, are bulky and expensive. More recently, one can achieve digital 3D reconstructions of the feet with taking a few measurements and/ or pictures, after which a data-driven algorithm uses a mathematical model to create a digital image of the feet.² This is currently possible with some tablets and smart phones. There is clearly great variability in the quality of smart phone-based scanner apps. One study deemed only six of 23 foot scanning apps accurate enough to allow for custom footwear, so one must exercise discretion when selecting applications.³ Once one creates a 3D digital model of the foot from the scan, it may assist in fitting off-the-shelf shoes with more precision or to produce custom insoles or footwear via additive manufacturing.

3D Printers. Additive Manufacturing (AM) is a process which builds three-dimensional objects from a digital model of that object. AM is achievable with different methods: 3D printing; photo polymerization; and injection molding, among others. This article will focus on 3D printing since it is the most accessible and scalable method of manufacturing. A number of different 3D printing methods can manufacture foot orthoses and footwear components. One method of 3D printing is Fused Deposition Modelling (FDM), which melts a thermoplastic monofilament and then lays it down in layers that are tenths of a millimeter thick. In my experience, FDM printers are small, affordable and can print a pair of insoles or a sandal outsole in a few hours. High volume footwear manufacturers would not benefit from FDM printers, but retailers can scale the number of printers to their volume at a low cost while still making a higher profit margin per pair and having the capability to print on demand. Retailers have the capability of printing in the store, but to the authors knowledge, those that offer custom insoles are manufacturing off site.

Artificial Intelligence. AI is used in all industries. In healthcare, it can more accurately and quickly diagnose cancer, accelerate development of new drugs and power robot-assisted surgery. The foundation of AI is data mining, which uses large sets of data to create predictive algorithms along with machine learning to identify the likelihood of future outcomes. Most algorithms are proprietary and are sometimes called “black box” algorithms, which means there is not a way to validate or compare them for accuracy.

Predictive analytics from AI methods can give consumers a ranked order of footwear options based on a scan of their feet to assist in selection of the best fitting off-the-shelf footwear options. One example of this is Volumental, a Swedish company that combines a 3D foot scanner with data analytics to recommend shoes and/or insoles. Their software has a database of approximately two million scans and uses sales data to provide consumers with a list of shoe options based on their foot shape and what others with similar foot shape characteristics purchased.

I feel the above technologies are opening the doors for new products and manufacturing methods, but no one can predict an emerging market with 100 percent accuracy. There are simply too many unknowns, but there are some clues about how mass customization is starting to emerge and how it will change footwear retail and manufacturing.

What Is The Current And Future Retail Environment For Customizable Footwear? 

Retailers are increasingly competing with online sales and manufacturers who sell directly to consumers. They look for opportunities to create unique in-store experiences to get buyers in the door, but at the same time they need consumer accessibility online. In my experience, precision scanning technologies and customization options can provide an in-store experience, and as phone scanners and apps improve, consumers can access retailers online for personalized products. Aetrex^®, New Balance^® and the previously mentioned Volumental and HP are some of the companies I’ve observed providing scanning technologies for retailers for in-person.

RESA provides a kiosk-based scanning and 3D printing system in retail settings. Their website (www.resawear.com) states that a technician and AI assist in insole design. The insoles are ready in about an hour and customers can order online at a later date, as well. To date, RESA is the only company the author is aware of doing on-site printing. Other business models manufacture the insoles in a centralized facility and mail to the customer.

Partnerships between technology companies, retailers and manufacturers are becoming more common. Collaboration of HP, Volumental and Superfeet on the Fitstation is one example. The Fitstation is a software and hardware platform that combines pressure mat analysis with the Volumental scanner and database to provide shoe and off-the-shelf recommendations and personalized insoles. Once one scans a customer in the store, they have a 3D model with measurements of the feet and shoe recommendations available. For personalized insoles, they can order and have their product in one to two weeks, or they could make purchases at a later date online from their foot scan, stored in the cloud.

This “omni channel” method of retailing allows brick and mortar stores to better compete with the internet and manufacturers. An additional advantage is that retailers using this technology to customize footwear can engage in on-demand manufacturing instead of forecasting and stocking inventories of products. Scanning technologies also lead to data acquisition and data mining, which will further refine and improve the process. “Sit and fit” retailers were the first to embrace this technology, because it fits in nicely with what they already do. In my opinion and experience, those retailers with expertise in fitting and customization will be the ones to gradually bring mass customization to the market.

To be sure, the elements of mass customization are in their infancy, but rapid growth is forecast and there are many possibilities to consider as the technology emerges. As mentioned above, it is difficult to predict the timing of these events and how they will manifest but change is undeniable. Now clinicians, manufacturers and retailers all have access to the same technology. No longer is it necessary to invest large amounts of capital into an insole or (in the future) footwear manufacturing facility. Production can be scaled to any level that is profitable; large or small. Medical professionals may choose to be their own orthotic lab or may partner with retailers to offer custom footwear. Retailers will utilize the technologies to create a better in-store experience while also creating opportunity for online sales. Footwear manufacturers will certainly offer more custom footwear options.

As mass customization becomes more accessible, consumers’ expectations will increase.⁴ In the medical setting, patients will expect clinicians to offer not only foot orthotics but also other options, or at least have an understanding of footwear precision measuring and customizing technology. In my observation, in the retail setting, customers will expect those offering custom shoes to be able to address concerns with fit, common foot conditions and comfort issues. Ethical retailers understand their role is not to diagnose and treat medical conditions. Manufacturers will look to build brand loyalty by producing shoes customized not only for aesthetics, but also for comfort and performance.

In Conclusion 

Whether one likes the idea of mass customization of footwear or not, the reality is that it will inevitably arrive. Consumers will still need the expertise of medical professionals to address conditions of the lower extremities. There are certainly going to be some growing pains as this paradigm changes and medical professionals will have to decide for themselves whether they want to participate. But one consideration is that while medicine is a competitive business, these technologies will only increase the competition because consumers often try to solve their own foot and footwear problems. New technologies give them access to options right on their phones and in retail settings. Podiatrists are well-positioned to capitalize on the opportunities mass customization presents both from the perspective of quality and comprehensiveness of care and that of business success. 

Paul Langer, DPM is board certified by the ABPM and is in practice with Twin Cities Orthopedics in Minneapolis. He discloses that he is a partner in Fleet Feet Minneapolis and OLT Footcare. He can be reached at paullanger@tcomn.com.

1. Sher D. Footwear industry leads in race for 3D printed consumer products. 3D Printing Media Network. Available at: https:// www.3dprintingmedia.network/footwear-industry-leads-in-race-for-3d-printed-consumer-products . Published May 16, 2019. Accessed May 6, 2021.

2. Parrilla E, Ballester A, Solves-Camallonga C, et al. Low-cost 3D foot scanner using a mobile app. Footwear Science. 2015;7(Supp1):S26-S28.

3. Kabir MA, Rahman SS, Islam MM, Ahmed S, Laird C. Mobile apps for foot measurement in pedorthic practice: scoping review. JMIR mHealth and uHealth. 2021;9(3):e24202.

4. Boër CR, Dulio S. Mass customization and footwear: myth, salvation or reality?: a comprehensive analysis of the adoption of the mass customization paradigm in footwear, from the perspective of the EUROShoE (Extended User Oriented Shoe Enterprise) research project. London:Springer;2007.