Nike is working on an app that determines the correct shoe size via augmented reality

Sports brand Nike will update its mobile app this summer that makes it possible to determine the shoe size of the user via augmented reality. The new Nike Fit feature should make it easier to choose the right size, especially when shopping online.

According to Nike, 60% of people are wearing the wrong shoe size. The sports brand cites an outdated way of measuring the foot as the cause. The measuring equipment is outdated, according to Nike, and moreover, the length and width of a foot would not provide enough data to choose a comfortable fitting shoe.

The new ar function of the Nike app looks at the full shape of both feet, according to the manufacturer. According to the sports brand, the shoe size that is calculated on the basis of that scan corresponds perfectly with that of existing Nike shoes in the style that the buyer is looking for. According to Nike, the measurement is accurate to within two millimeters. For other shoe brands, the result is less reliable. What is a 42 for one brand may be a 43 for another.

Like most ar apps, Nike Fit uses the smartphone camera. After the user has taken a photo of both feet, the feet are analyzed on thirteen different mapping points. The shoe size calculated on the basis of this data can be saved by the user in his NikePlus profile. From that moment on, the user will only see Nike footwear in his own shoe size during online shopping.

The revamped app with Nike Fit feature will be available first in America in July; Europe is expected to follow in August. According to Nike, this is more than a gimmick. To underline this, the new shoe size measurement technology will soon also be used in Nike stores.