Aetrex Pushes AI Shoe Fit Scanning in Retail
Aetrex CEO Larry Schwartz discussed 3D foot scans and AI-driven fit technology at the 2026 WWD Apparel and Retail CEO Summit.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Retail
Live Poll
Would you use an in-store foot scanner to help pick out shoes?
Aetrex CEO Larry Schwartz led a panel on using AI and 3D foot scan data to help consumers find shoe fit at the 2026 WWD Apparel and Retail CEO Summit. The discussion centered on in-store scanners that rank shoes by how well they fit a customer's feet.
Why it matters
The technology aims to help retailers such as Foot Locker serve customers better by matching them to footwear that fits. Partnerships between Heeluxe and Aetrex are bringing scanner-based fit tools into store environments.
Aetrex reports more than 50 million global foot scans underpin its insoles and orthotics, and its in-store scanner ranks shoes by fit in about one minute. The source does not state how many retail locations have installed the system or how its recommendations perform against independent measures.
The players
Aetrex
Aetrex is a footwear and orthotics company known for insoles and orthotics built from a large database of 3D foot scans.
Foot Locker
Foot Locker is a major athletic footwear retailer that has installed Aetrex scanners at stores featuring the FitAI software.
Heeluxe
Heeluxe is a firm that uses proprietary technology to help shoe brands design footwear for comfort and fit.
The details
Consumers stand on an Aetrex scanner in store, and the system ranks available shoes by fit to their feet. Retailers upload scanned style data to a database that the scanner uses, and new footwear styles are scanned quarterly, with only the specific style rather than every color requiring a scan.
Timeline
Panel held last week at the 2026 WWD Apparel and Retail CEO Summit.
WWD published its article on the panel on November 5, 2026.
Market Landscape
The Aetrex FitAI scanner positions footwear retail toward data-driven fit selection rather than traditional in-store sizing. Its partnership with Foot Locker signals how scanner-based fit tools may be adopted by large athletic footwear chains.
Shoppers at stores with Aetrex scanners may be able to find a better-fitting shoe in about a minute by standing on the scanner. The system can recommend a different size than the one a customer usually wears, as shown by one scanned customer moving from size 6 to size 7.
The takeaway
Standing on an in-store scanner may reveal a shoe size different from what you usually buy, so trying the scanned recommendation can help avoid poor fit. Retail fit tools like this are worth comparing against your own measurements before purchase.
Further reading
For more on how shoppers buy, see the Retail coverage on Wisevoter.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WWD.
Live Poll
Would you use an in-store foot scanner to help pick out shoes?
