Today’s consumer will accept nothing less than comfort underfoot, even for their specialty footwear. Last month, Aetrex announced a partnership with custom ski boot manufacturer DaleBoot. DaleBoot will use Aetrex’s Albert 2 Pro foot scanning technology in lieu of manually measuring customers’ feet. The automated 3D foot scan data boasts both accuracy and ease of use for creating custom ski boots.
The 20-Second Foot Scan
“Aetrex is a technology company at its core,” explains CEO Larry Schwartz. “Everything we do evolves from our technology. Our mission is to help people stay comfortable and healthy on their feet. At Aetrex, we believe it all starts with a comprehensive foot scan.”
Said comprehensive foot scan takes just 20 seconds. Then, customers answer a few questions about their ski experience, previous discomfort with ski boots and preferred snow conditions. From there, DaleBoot develops a pair of custom ski boots with a personalized-fit shell, custom liner, and in-boot and on-ski stance balance and alignment (all in under one week).
“Other companies on the market take the same outside of the boot and blow foam into the boot to fit around the foot. DaleBoot sets itself apart by customized the outside and the inside of the boot,” adds Schwartz, who notes that the company tested several other scanning companies in their U.S. and European headquarters for landing on the Albert 2 Pro. “Our scanner allows DaleBoot to have consistency around the globe, and it eliminates human error in the process. We are excited to make skiing comfortable for all skiers out on the slopes.”
Aetrex is Skiing into Sports
This collab is just the tip of the iceberg as the brand continues to build its presence in sport- and comfort-related categories. “Today, we are partnered with Sun & Ski Sports and Scheels in the outdoor retail space,” Schwartz explains. “We have continued to grow our business in performance running through our presence in over 300 running stores. We are working with product development labs around the globe including: Nike, Specialized, Burton, Danner, Altra, BOA, North Face, Converse, Bauer, and many others.”
Still, the brand isn’t leaving its own line of orthotics and footwear behind. Rather, Schwartz wants the industry to view Aetrex as a vertically integrated brand that develops tech-based products for foot health, including its own products. “There is a lot opportunity in sports and we are just beginning to scratch the surface with our technology that can assist companies to make better products and consumers to perform better in the sports they love,” he says.
