Nike Wants to Use Augmented Reality to Measure Your Shoe Size

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Augmented reality is a new and upcoming technology that seems to be taking effect in our everyday lives. In addition to providing giving you hours of entertainment through gaming apps such as Pokemon GO, it helps you decide if a sofa goes with the interior of your living room by allowing you to place the item of furniture in your own home through the camera on your phone.

All-in-all, Augmented Reality (AR) is blurring the lines and boundaries between real and virtual life, intertwining them into one experience. AR consists of blending interactive visual elements, including dazzling visual overlays, exciting haptic feedback, or other sensory projections, into our real-world environments. AR could soon become a new kind of reality for us all and be slotted naturally into our daily routines.

AR is a technology which is becoming more and more advanced every day, and while it's being used to entertain us in the gaming industry, it can be used in a multitude of different ways in a variety of different industries. Nike has harnessed the power of AR and has now merged it into a feature on its app, thus bringing it into the business sector of online shopping.

Nike Fit

Nike is one of the world's leading shoe retailers and is consistently pushing boundaries in the footwear and clothing that it produces. One of the latest and most innovative ways that Nike is moving forward is by incorporating AR into its app to help people measure their feet and get their correct shoe size.

Called "Nike Fit," the foot measuring feature is something that Nike has been able to successfully implement both in-store and on its app, making ecommerce and retail shopping a much easier experience for its customers. In-store, employees are equipped with an iPod Touch with the app installed, so they're always ready to help you find the right shoe size for your feet.

You are also able to measure your feet at home, using the app to accurately attain your size and order shoes knowing you are ordering exactly the right product. Nike has also been able to combine the app and shopping in-store, with the app producing a barcode. This means you don't have to measure your feet more than once. This barcode can then be scanned by an employee, providing them with the exact measurements of your feet instantly.

This feature has made shopping a much easier and more enjoyable activity. You're almost certain to get the right shoe size for your feet, regardless of the style of footwear you want.

Augmented Reality

In providing this feature through their app, Nike is transforming the entire shopping industry and how we view ecommerce and retail. This function is likely to mean that there will be fewer shoes returned due to customers ordering the wrong size online.

"Using your smartphone's camera, 'Nike Fit' will scan your feet, collecting 13 data points mapping your foot morphology for both feet within a matter of seconds," said Nike in a press release. "This hyper-accurate scan of your unique foot dimension can then be stored in your NikePlus member profile and easily used for future shopping online and in-store."

Nike prides itself on understanding that "different shoes are made with different performance intent." For example, you may want something like a running shoe to be a little tighter than the everyday sneaker that you wear in casual situations. The app is designed to handle these decisions on the backend, with the brand knowing how each shoe measures up against the other styles they offer.

Nike is confident that combining their product knowledge and AR ensures they can set you up with the correct size shoe, all from the comfort of your own home.

Final Thoughts

Nike incorporating AR into its shopping applications and in-store environment means it can market products in a much more personalized way. Surely it will lead to more customers being happy and satisfied with the items they receive.

AR is transforming the shopping industry, and Nike is just one company which is using these technological advancements to help its customers and take the guesswork out of online shopping.

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You can hear Nike's Lead Design Strategist, Tim Degner speak at eTail Palm Springs 2020, being held in February, at the JW Marriott, Palm Springs, CA.

Please download the agenda today for more information and insights.