A recent study, “Estimating footwear fit by using 3D scans of shoe shoppers,” used more than 90,000 3D foot scans matched to purchase data and found that out of 841 different women’s running shoe models, 40% of these styles did not fit true to the labeled size.
How did inconsistent fit get to this point?
The shoe sizing dilemmas are no secret; size has plagued customers for centuries by four central sizing systems. These sizing systems used in the industry only address the size and width of footwear (UK, US, EU, and Mondopoint).
These various sizing systems, plus only managing two measurements (length & width), when the foot has multiple points to measure for a comfortable fit, contribute to customers' difficulty finding the correct shoe size.
Thankfully, with advancements in technology, retail fit technology has emerged as a game-changer to solve these fit dilemmas for customers and optimize the entire shopping journey for retailers and shoppers.
As retail technology advances, many footwear apps are becoming widely available on the market. However, not all retail fit platforms or applications are created equal.
Some foot apps are simply products that digitize the outdated sizing methods (as mentioned above), matching shoe length to foot length, and not solving the heart of fit.
Other companies might scan the inside of a shoe. This method often leaves many critical data and other measurements from being analyzed and used to build a solid customer experience.
Why?
“Scans of the shoes’ inside surface capture the inside surface of an empty shoe, but the internal shoe shape changes significantly with a foot in the shoe," said Volumental’s VP Footwear Research expert, Ales Jurca. “It is also impossible to accurately simulate a foot in the shoe by filling it with some material while scanning the inside of the shoe; therefore, measuring inside the shoes is not useful.”
Everyone has experienced trying on multiple shoes with identical size labels, only to find not each one fits the same.
When you sit down and think about all the shoe size systems, coupled with a vast difference in a customer’s foot shape for length, width, girth, instep girth, height, material, and other fit preferences, it’s no wonder finding the perfect fit can feel almost impossible without the help of advanced retail fit technologies.
Using Volumental’s FitTech™ platform, you can seamlessly free up shoppers’ time and give back confidence to the consumer with an entirely new experience that solves fit.
Volumental is a world leader in footwear fit technology. With our unique FitTech™ platform solving fit, the capabilities go above and beyond to ensure retailers can optimize the entire shopping journey and capitalize on personalization. Unlike our competitors, Volumental’s FitTech™ provides three main value components with an omnichannel approach.
Acquisition,
Retention and,
A personalized shopping experience
Today’s shoppers are fascinated and happily engage with fit technology because having a fit tailored to a shopper's unique foot shape is something they have never experienced. And instead of getting marketing emails, texts, or ads filled with items that won’t fit them, these marketing messages are now tailored to their fit id. Customers love personalization. It’s pretty simple, retailers who infuse this fit technology into the entire shopping ecosystem become the heroes!
With the FitTech™ platform, retailers can give customers an experience they never knew they needed by falling in love with a 3D customized foot scan. Customers crave personal recommendations, and customers can’t wait to tell their family, friends, and neighbors.
We’ve all seen the fit return rates, especially for online retailers averaging 50%. However, brands can optimize for fit from the start and give customers their shoe fit confidence back.
Jurca agrees, “applying technology methods such as artificial intelligence and machine learning will solve the current fit dilemma.”
Are you ready to solve fit, returns, and create a new shopping experience for customers? If retailers are ready to become the customer's footwear heroes contact Volumental for a 3D foot scan FitTech™ demo.