At Volumental, we believe great shoes start with a deep understanding of the human foot; its shape, diversity, and the unique needs of the people wearing them.
That’s why we’ve partnered with leading footwear brands like Lululemon, Red Wing, Hoka, Vans, On Running, and others to bring a new level of precision and inclusivity to product development. Our approach blends the power of data science with decades of footwear expertise to help brands build better-fitting shoes, faster and smarter.
Rethinking Fit from the Ground Up
Traditional footwear development often relies on outdated assumptions and processes, like designing for a standard foot shape and adjusting from there. But no two feet are the same. Our process helps brands move beyond guesswork, using data from over 70 million 3D foot scans to understand what real customers actually look like across sizes, regions, and categories.
Our Collaboration Framework
Here’s how we help our partners transform fit from day one:
1. Start with the Data
We analyze millions of anonymized 3D foot scans, plus your brand’s own customer data, to uncover patterns in width, instep height, and shape that aren’t visible using traditional tools.
2. Build Smarter Size Charts
Our data scientists work with your R&D team to define sizing that reflects real-world foot shapes, not just length and width. This means fewer returns, more happy customers, and a better fit across the board.
3. Upgrade Fit Testing
Instead of relying on convenience sampling, we help you find fit testers who actually represent your customers. We combine this with 3D scanning to measure how well your prototypes are working, and why.
4. Engineer Better Lasts
We help brands design or refine their lasts, the core shapes shoes are built around, based on actual foot morphology. That includes new widths, gender-specific geometries, 3D foot data based grading, and other refinements that improve comfort and performance.
5. Validate Before You Launch
Our process doesn’t stop at product design. We support pre-launch testing and post-launch fit monitoring to help your next iteration be even better than the last.
Real Results, Real Brands
- Lululemon used Volumental data to design the Blissfeel, their first women’s running shoe, from the ground up, for women. The launch earned Footwear News’ “Launch of the Year” award in 2023.
- Red Wing analyzed over a million customer scans to refine sizing and improve fit testing across their iconic work boots.
- Adidas and On Running have used our data and services to bring better fit to their performance and lifestyle footwear, on a global scale.
It’s Not Just Tech. It’s Teamwork.
We don’t replace your in-house expertise… we amplify it. Our goal is to support your team with data you’ve never had access to before, helping you make more informed decisions about design, construction, and go-to-market strategies.
Telling the Story Together
When innovation happens, we want the world to know. Our co-marketing approach focuses on telling the story of collaboration, not just technology, with a focus on educating consumers and highlighting the real-world benefits of better fit.
Together, we’re building the future of footwear, where every shoe starts with the people who wear it.
Interested in working with us on your next product innovation?
Reach out to our Footwear R&D team to learn more.