This Shoe is Crafted Using Advanced Technology to Perfectly Mold to the Unique Shape of Your Foot
Vivobarefoot’s latest shoe collection, VivoBiome, has been recognized as a winner in Fast Company’s prestigious 2024 World Changing Ideas Awards.
Every foot is unique, but the modern shoe is a product that is made in large quantities with certain assumptions about the best fit. Therefore, every pair of shoes is the result of careful consideration and a thoughtful attempt to meet the specific requirements of your individual body shape and structure.
However, Vivobarefoot, the brand known for promoting barefoot running, claims to have created a method to craft individualized shoes for each person’s feet. With the innovative VivoBiome technology, customers now have the ability to effortlessly create a 3D scan of their foot using their phone. This data can then be conveniently sent to an industrial 3D printer, resulting in the delivery of a customized shoe right to their doorstep. This product has been recognized as the winner of Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas Awards in the consumer product category.
Vivobarefoot collaborated with Volumental, a foot-analysis firm that has scanned 20 million feet to date, to enhance its mobile imaging technology for precise measurements down to the millimeter. From there, the company created a shoe-design system that utilized computational design, leveraging AI to enhance shape while maintaining both appearance and performance.
Despite Vivobarefoot’s use of advanced scanning technology to create an accurate shoe, customers are given the opportunity to provide input on the final fit. They are able to preview their foot inside the shoe and make adjustments to components like the toe box to ensure their satisfaction before production. Printing facilities will be established in different regions to ensure sustainable production and distribution. VivoBiome is committed to creating shoes from a single, compostable material, allowing them to be returned to the earth once they are no longer in use.
Vivobarefoot has created a number of test pairs so far and has plans to produce an additional 2,000 pairs before the end of 2024. These pairs will be priced at $291. The company also has plans to further improve the design and establish its first full-scale 3D printing factory by 2026. “We’re taking a methodical approach to ensure we create a highly scalable product,” says Asher Clark, cofounder and chief design officer at Vivobarefoot.
By MARK WILSON
Source: https://www.fastcompany.com/91073114/vivobarefoot-world-changing-ideas-2024