Footwear Insight

September / October 2018

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10 • Footwear Insight ~ September/October 2018 B ringing the beach to the boardroom (or is it vice versa?) is the mission for Dallas, TX-based Floafers. The brand, which launched on Kickstarter last year and made its wholesale debut at Platform, reinterprets preppy silhouettes in injec- tion molded closed cell EVA foam. Born after founder and CEO Hayes Brumbeloe lamented the lack of versatile, water-friendly loafer styles while packing for a trip to the Bahamas, the resulting Vietnam-made styles for men, women and children are nonslip, floatable and designed for travel, water and lifestyle. Launched with a single look — a $50 ventilated take on the classic driving loafer for men and women done in a variety of colors with contrasting outsoles — for Spring, Floafers has added kids' sizes of the style (in toddlers at $30 and youth at $35) as well as five new silhouettes for men and women, includ- ing the $70 Executive Tassel Loafer for men and the $70 Tycoon Bit Driver for women. The styles are available at floafers.com and at select department stores, yacht and country clubs and resort shops, and Floafers is looking to expand its distribution both domestically and interna- tionally in 2019. l footwearinsight.com Float On NEW BRAND THE FOOTWEAR EYE Volumental 3D Foot Scan Gains Traction TECHNOLOGY T he Swedish company Volumental recently landed $1.4 million in new venture cap- ital from current and new investors. Approximately 500, or half of Volumental's 3D foot scanners, are being utilized in the U.S. where its Fit Engine offering individual and personalized fitting recom- mendations are available in all Fleet Feet stores, where the process is known as "Fit ID." After scanning a shopper, Volumental's technology automatically ranks shoes in stock in order of how well they fit the particular customer. The company is cur- rently working with other retailers to expand the fitting experience to more retail locations. Volumental says it has surpassed 1.5 million 3D foot scans worldwide in 35 countries. "The Fit Engine means no more guesswork or time wasted on trying on the wrong shoes," says Moritz Schiebold, Volumental CEO, adding that he believes traditional retail should focus in the future on creating personal- ized, immersive experiences for in-store customers that transition to an omnichannel relationship. Besides footwear scanning, Volumental has also worked with Bauer Hockey to develop custom fitted skates through its scanning technology. l Volumental 3D Foot Scanner

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