Demystifying the thing that everyone wants in their shoes but few people know how to measure.
Footwear brands are asking Heeluxe how they can win Most Comfortable Shoe after reading the “Best of 2022” post. This article provides a blueprint on how to exceed your customer’s comfort expectations and perform better than every other shoe we test. 1. Fit is the New Foam Fit is the #1 indicator of comfort. While…
Entering into the cold winter months means that feet are going to need insulation to stay comfortable and warm. Since 2015 Heeluxe has tested how boots keep feet warm in freezing environments, and we’ve learned a few tips and tricks to design the best insulation in footwear. There are two main ways that feet get…
Insoles are often overlooked and underappreciated in footwear. But they’re also an easy way to improve the comfort and durability of your shoes. Let’s cover the best ways to find the most comfortable insoles for any shoe you’re working on. Success Strategy #1: Determine the “Good/Better/Best” insoles for each shoe category. One insole won’t work…
In the last few years, the number of cushioning materials used in footwear has exploded. As footwear brands continue to innovate with new foam compounds, molding techniques, and constructions, the consumer has access to more ways to optimize their cushioning experience. This blog discusses how to move away from a “one size fits all” model…
Working with hundreds of footwear brands from around the world provides Heeluxe a lot of data on the sample sizes that brands are using. Between 2010 and 2020 the sample sizes were very consistent across brands: almost everyone used a M9 US for Men’s, W7 US for Women’s casual and athletic, and W6 for Women’s…
How do YOU measure shoe fit? There are a lot of different answers to this question, but one common thread in every response: There needs to be a better way to measure shoe fit that is fast and accurate. SmartLast is the better way to measure shoe fit. Heeluxe pioneered sensor-based shoe fit testing in…
Every shoe brand wants a potential customer to think their shoe is comfortable when they first try it on in a store or after an online purchase. After all, comfort is second only to style when it comes to influencing purchases. While cushioning, fit, and features like arch support are important for comfort, most brands…
Energy Return is a hot topic in athletic footwear and has even impacted occupational, fashion, and casual shoes. Current foam materials like Boost and EverRun and carbon fiber technologies like the VaporFly 4% and VKTRY insoles promote improved energy return, but is there any science to back this up? Let’s find the truth about energy…
Comfort is mandatory in 2020 and most footwear brands lack a strategy for how to increase comfort. The best brands use a consistent approach to improve one area of comfort every year and see benefits of increased sales, less returns, and higher online ratings. This post outlines the three steps for improving comfort in 2020…
Back in 2010 a prominent shoe exec told me insoles don’t matter. After 10 years of footwear testing, we have data to show that they were very wrong for almost every shoe style and pricepoint. Here’s the science behind insoles and how to pick the best one for your shoes: First, let’s review Heeluxe’s keys…
We all love the “ahh” factor when we first put on a pair of shoes. What could be better than a shoe that’s cushioned with the same material as our new bed? Turns out, just about anything is better! It makes sense that customers are drawn to the phrase “Memory Foam”. And there is some…
Research shows that “Subjective comfort data is there not a reliable measurement.” What should a brand do to measure comfort? Heeluxe has spent years determining what makes shoes comfortable and developing new measuring tools to quantify comfort. Here’s our tips for improving comfort measurements at your brand: The “Big 4 for comfort” are Fit, Contour,…
Step in comfort is the key to getting a customer to buy your shoe, but all-day comfort is the key to getting your customer to come back and buy more pairs. One of the unifying factors of fast-growing brands is their ability to meet customer’s needs for all-day comfort, and this post provides an outline…