Vivobarefoot onboards 200 Vivobiome shoe testers
Minimalist running shoe company Vivobarefoot has recruited 200 individuals to trial its “feet-first”, digital Vivobiome platform for locally made-to-measure, circular footwear.
Each model is created using 3D foot scanning technology called Unreal Engine, powered by artificial intelligence. The experiential tool will take each user from virtual try-on through to design and colour, with each design engineered to be remade at end of life.
Would-be product testers are asked to join the brand’s “pioneer programme”, which is priced at around $335 (£260). In exchange, they will receive three pairs of prototype runners to try out.
Beginning this January, UK customers will be the first have the opportunity to place an order, complete with a 75-day delivery timeframe.
“Vivobiome is not just a new product,” commented co-founder and chief design officer, Asher Clark. “It’s a radical vision for a circular system, enabled by technology to reimagine manufacturing that takes it back to its roots.
“Indigenous footwear has been made person-by-person, foot-by-foot for millennia, out of local materials, a far cry from the mass-marketed products that are destined for landfills.
“We want to get back to this heart of community-driven innovation and production.”
Image: Vivobarefoot.
