Changes Afoot

Avid cyclist Glen Hinshaw was in search of insoles to enhance his cycling performance. When he couldn’t find a solution, he did what many entrepreneurs do: he started his own company. “I couldn’t get the product I wanted and if I did get it, it couldn’t be repeated, so along with others we invented a method,” he says.

His vision came to fruition when he met fellow cycling enthusiast Bill Peterson, a certified pedorthist (a specialist in the use of footwear and supportive devices to address conditions affecting the feet and lower limbs) who understood the flaws of what was currently on the market.

Using correct foot positioning and laser-based digital imaging, Peterson created custom inflatable air pillow inserts. In 2005, the partners unveiled 3-D TruCapture scanning units, which set the wheels in motion for a new consumer option.

eSoles has outfitted hundreds of athletes, including cyclist Levi Leipheimer, Arizona Cardinals linebacker Karlos Dansby and professional golfer Katherine Hull. Recently, the company has been taking its technology directly to retailers so that even weekend warriors can have customized insoles.

eSoles is positioning its fitment kiosks in retail stores, including Cycle Loft in Boston and a Sam’s Club in Arizona. There are also mobile units at PGA shops across the country.

To get fitted, a consumer steps on the laser capture device and receives a free scan of his foot. Simple information about the activities in which he participates is entered to help with design. The web-enabled kiosk zaps the image to eSoles headquarters, where it is added to an existing database of more than 44,000 foot scans.

Consumers have the option of purchasing semi-custom footbeds in the store for $69.99 or ordering a custom-manufactured pair from eSoles ($249.99), which takes five days to complete. Every image stored in the 3-D TruCapture Kiosk Scanning System is saved, so customers needing new insoles or insoles for different pairs of shoes can access their information with the push of a button.

The system was developed with the aid of a physical therapist and several technology partners, including i-generator, a specialist in bio-medical engineering products; Pressure Profile Systems, which helped with the tactile sensing system; and Rhino Internet Solutions.

When Jeff Palter of Cycle Loft saw the kiosk, he knew it was a fit for his stores. “The eSoles technology will allow us to take the guesswork out of the equation when providing footbed solutions, not only for cyclists, but also for runners, golfers and others,” he says.

Self-service, personnel-free
Hinshaw says the kiosks’ modest 18-inch footprint doesn’t adversely impact store traffic patterns, making it a candidate for use in virtually any retail setting. And because it is a self-service kiosk, no in-store personnel are required: the consumer performs his own foot scan, then takes the printout to the retailer for an in-store purchase.

The next step for eSoles sounds like something out of the future. According to Hinshaw, Bluetooth technology will soon allow the insoles to transmit data like cadence, power output, balance, speed and distance from 11 sensors to a cell phone while cycling, skiing, walking, running, golfing or jumping rope.