This is a new use of augmented reality we hadn’t heard of: Nike will soon use AR in its app with the goal of selling people shoes that actually fit.
For some people, it’s hard to buy shoes -- especially online. Maybe one foot is slightly bigger than the other, or in some brands, you need to buy wides or in other brands, you’re a size up or a size down.
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It seems as though Nike is aware of these issues, and the company likely knows it’s even harder to buy shoes virtually -- so with that in mind: AR to the rescue, it seems.
Starting in July, the feature, called Nike Fit, will be available in the Nike app for those in the United States. The tool is expected in August for app-users in Europe, according to tech website The Verge.
Also worth mentioning, the feature isn’t limited to the app: Nike stores will soon use this technology as well, published reports say. You scan your feet with your phone and the company figures out the rest.
“With this new AR feature, Nike says it can measure each foot individually — the size, shape, and volume — with accuracy within 2 millimeters and then suggest the specific size of Nike shoe for the style that you’re looking at,” The Verge explains. “It does this by matching your measurements to the internal volume already known for each of its shoes, and the purchase data of people with similar-sized feet.”
The entire process takes less than a minute, according to the site Engadget.
Nike saves your data too, so if you’re a regular customer, this will come in handy even more. And if you have growing kids, it just might save you a trip to the store.
What might seem like a silly use for augmented reality at first blush, actually sounds pretty practical.