As schools throughout the country delayed their openings or kept classes virtual this fall, children’s footwear naturally took a hit.
According to data from the Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, kids’ pricing fell more than 7 percent during the month of August, the largest drop since 2000. By comparison, women’s and men’s styles dipped nearly 4 percent and 2 percent, respectively.
In this tough environment, children’s footwear company Stride Rite is expanding the presence of its Fit Zone feet scanners, including doubling the number of Dillard’s stores with the 3D-modeling technology. A major plus for the tech is its contactless measuring, adding safety and peace of mind to the entire process.
Since Dillard’s introduced the Fit Zone technology in February, the Arkansas-based retailer has added installations throughout Texas, Arkansas, Georgia, Nevada and Colorado. According to Stride Rite’s store finder, hundreds of Dillard’s locations currently sell the footwear brand’s products, including 20 that now offer the “Fit Zone Experience.”
The Fit Zone technology produces an “almost instantaneous” 3D model of the child’s foot “to ensure all little walkers are fit with the correct size shoe, while providing a safe contactless fit experience,” Stride Rite said.
“We are proud to partner with Dillard’s,” Meg Forno, Stride Rite’s marketing director, said in a statement. “They continue to be a pioneer of the Fit Zone technology by embracing the contactless fitting experience and giving their customers the comfort of knowing that safety is top priority during this time.”
Dillard’s joins a growing number or retailers offering foot-scanning technology. Fleet Feet, for example, has offered Volumental’s 3D foot-scanning technology since 2017. This September, in fact, the running retailer began rolling out dynamic pressure mapping technology at stores across the country. In partnership with premium insole brand Superfeet, participating stores are now using this data to offer personalized footwear insoles.