In today’s retail space, we celebrate all shapes and sizes and the styles that work best. But what about when it comes to the part of our bodies that have the most wear and tear on any given day. The part that hits the ground running from the moment we wake up to the minute we lay back down.
I’m talking about our feet. They deserve to have a moment.
Introducing the latest in sneaker innovation – the York Fit Finder – a 3D measuring tool and size advisor with intuitive innovation in knowing your shoe size from the comfort of your home in under five minutes. This new fit technology web app allows customers to measure their length, width, and most importantly, shape with a simple photograph you take right on your mobile device. With the foot scan data, York Athletics can generate a recommended fit so buyers can feel confident about the size they’ll get without trying on before they buy.
SNEAKER INNOVATION STARTS WITH FIT
Consumers continue to be in this phase of constant optimization taking a closer look at sleeping, eating, fitness, and health habits. They track steps but don’t look to measure what’s actually taking those steps and if that could use improvement. Foot health has been denied for decades and measurement hasn’t evolved since the metal device that acts as a glorified ruler. No one’s had an ability to holistically measure feet in this way.
There are plenty of footwear companies out there, but there hasn’t been that much innovation on how you try on sneakers. We’re set out to fix that. With the shift to using online marketplaces and conducting most transactions now from home, it was a good time to bring innovation to light. Say farewell to the cold, metal Brannock Device. Our feet are not rectangles; they shouldn’t be measured by a range of lengths and two width choices, especially with more people purchasing footwear online without trying them on first.
Many customers will compromise fit because they’re used to wearing the wrong size sneaker. In fact, 3 out of 5 are doing just that. A lot of people don’t want to deal with the hassle of returning or exchanging a purchase, so they make do with a shoe fit that’s slightly off. Moreover, the direct to consumer aspect is forcing customers to assume their size will align across brands universally, which we know to be a faulty reality.
We often think of feet as a perfectly matching pair but having two different sized feet is actually more common than not, with 60 percent of people walking on feet with a half size difference between them. The emphasis in footwear has long been about style instead of finding your true fit. The York Fit Finder looks to shift that narrative to prove that style can still be found with a more perfect fit because ultimately, the right fit is the baseline for peak performance.
PROBLEMS YOU’LL RUN INTO WITH CURRENT METHODS
The current fitting methods in the footwear industry are outdated. Consumers today deserve a better fit with a mode of purchasing footwear where they can get explicit feedback on the concept of their individual shape. Feet should equally be looked out for.
Your feet contain 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments, and 19 muscles in each. They’re a very intricate part of our body and the starting point for nurturing them is wearing sneakers that actually fit so you can perform at your best mentally and physically. If you’re not using the best tool possible to make sure you’re outfitted correctly, you’re going to run into problems like Achilles Tendinitis, Stress Fractures, Iliotibial Band Syndrome, and Neuromas.
There are also a few telltale signs that your feet need extra room if you notice:
- Black toenails from your foot jamming into the end of the shoe
- Blisters
- Hammertoes
- Ingrown toenails
- Corns
The York Fit Finder puts more emphasis on the varieties of foot shape, so we can give more accurate information and cater the final product to consumers with the click of a button. The lack of innovation is paired with a lack of information. As individuals, we typically haven’t checked in with our adult feet since we assumed they stopped growing. Now you can tap into the power of a $25,000 laser scanner, with only a few clicks of your phone.
This type of sneaker innovation truly modernizes the online purchase experience, providing confidence for what’s best in terms of comfort and long-term health. At York Athletics, we are passionate about getting customers into the right pair of shoes. The York Fit Finder was designed to facilitate a more encompassing, complete conversation to allow you to figure out what’s best for you, on your time. When your kicks fit, you’re fit to work hard, fit to work out, and fit to be a more comfortable you.
Find your Fit with the York Fit Finder today.