Last December, Brooks Running Company partnered with HP FitStation and Superfeet to design running sneakers that can be customized to a runner’s exact foot size and running mechanics. Early next year, those shoes will finally make their way to runners’ feet.
The running apparel company announced on Wednesday that it will introduce a shoe called Genesys to runners through U.S. retailers early in 2019, with a global launch planned shortly after that. That sneaker is the first to come out of last year’s partnership.
Because the shoes will be personalized to an individual runner, they’ll only be available through special order, and won’t be sold in stores. The number of shoes will also be initially limited to just 1,914 pairs. Runners ordering Genesys will also need their feet measured with a FitStation scanner and have their gait analyzed. The company then supplements that data with its own proprietary “Run Signature” to design the final shoes.
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SportTechie Takeaway
Customized shoes are a growing market. Most examples focus on the aesthetics of the shoe rather than the foot and gait of the user, but with several exceptions. In March, Reebok launched a 3D printed shoe that is likely to enable customization because the shoes can be made to order in effectively any size. have launched 3D printed shoes. In January, the NFL partnered with FitStation to make the technology available to players to customize their cleats this coming season.