Oms4Shanthi
It goes without saying that the daily and weekly impact on a runner’s body can be brutal. Over the course of three miles, the feet of a runner who weighs 150 pounds will expose their feet to over 150 tons of impact. That’s why the shoes we have on our feet are incredibly important – both during our runs – and especially after. Insoles specifically are incredibly important in playing a role in injury prevention, longevity and the success of our training.
Yet mass market sports shoes do little to support the unique structure of runner’s feet. Just as problematic, the shoes runners wear off the track – to school, work, and even the beach – have even less support than their more athletically inclined counterparts.
“Big footwear brands still don’t grasp the fact that 14 billion unique feet need 14 billion unique solutions,” says 3D customizable insole creator and Wiivv CEO Shamil Hargovan. “In an industry dominated by mass produced products and offshore supply chains, we’re proud to offer one-off custom products at scale.”
After becoming Kickstarter’s most funded 3-D project ever, Wiivv – the 3D printable custom-fit footwear company – will be launching a new line of footwear. Wiivv Sandals are designed to keep runner’s and athlete’s feet happy outside of practice.
Interested? Thought so. Below are the top five reasons why you need to pre-order a pair of these sandals for this summer’s release. Check it out!
1. They are environmentally friendly
Who doesn’t like the environment? And let’s face it – under this EPA-phobic administration, we need to be smart consumers. Especially if we want to make sure the world is still around in a couple hundred years. So why not start with the closest thing that touches the earth – your shoes?
Wiivv footbeds are 100% closed-loop recyclable. At the end of your sandal’s life, you can return the pair to Wiivv. Wiivv will use the parts to make new sandals, eliminating waste and reducing emissions in the process.
Who gets a star on Earth Day? You do.
2. Wiivv's customization process is (almost) as easy as texting a photo
Wiivv is a 3D printable custom-fit footwear digitally mapped from your smartphone. Using just your computer’s camera, Wiivv technology can scan, examine, and identify over 200 data points of the curvature of your foot, perfectly matching your unique size and arch shape. All you have to download the app, open it, stand in front of your phone’s camera, and you’re golden.
Check out the photo on the right to see how easy the process is.
3. It’s injury prevention in your down time
If you’re part of the 75% of the population who over-pronates or under-pronates, chances are you would benefit from wearing customized shoes. That’s because wearing Wiivv sandals will help your body train the right foot muscles. And strength training your foot muscles prevents compensation from uneven weight distribution – something that could lead to injuries.
The magical thing about the Wiivv sandals is that you literally are doing injury prevention training in your downtime. Wiivv CEO and Co-Founder Shamil Hargovan says, “the personalization of Wiivv eliminates over-pronation, toe scrunch, and foot fatigue without compromising style.
4. Design that makes your stronger
When purchasing a product, did you ever wonder what you’re actually buying outside of logo galvanizing the latest trend?
Wiivv customizable sandals contain bio-engineered toe grips to give you metatarsal support, which helps prevent metatarsalgia by returning over extended toes to their normal anatomical position.
The sandals also contain a deep heel cup stabilized to absorb shock (its like they knew you were a heel striker). The sandals also feature a custom strap placement – based on the digital screening of your foot – to determine and adjust where the strap should go to hold your feet in place. This prevents overcompensation when walking from an otherwise poor (or mass customized) fit.
And in case all that personalization isn’t enough, Wiivv sandals also have no-rub thongs and custom toe-thong placement so you won’t be blistering all summer long (YAS).
5. They are in your budget
Custom orthotic shoes that support your feet can run anywhere between 250- 500 dollars. When it comes to supportive shoes on the sandal scene…well good luck finding an orthotic that can magically manage that. Wiivv sandals, on the other hand, do all of this and cost a mere 85 dollars.
Wiivv 3D customizable insoles are currently being pre-purchased on Indiegogo. You can get your first pair for 85 dollars. Orders to be delivered in August.
