Method and system for providing customized footwear to a retail consumer

• US 20070043582A1
• Filed: 03/02/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Fila Luxembourg SARL (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Fila Luxembourg SARL (FILA Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: White, Jay, Bove, Savino, Erb, Robert, Heckman, Nate, Peveto, Mikal
• Application Number:
  US11/365,612
• Publication Number:
  US 20070043582A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/1.100
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/141 with a part of the sole being flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 13/16 Pieced soles with several layers of different material A43B13/12
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/027 with a part of the upper particularly flexible, e.g. permitting articulation or torsion
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/0295 Pieced uppers
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 23/047 the gusset being elastic
• CPC Class Codes: A43B 3/26 adjustable as to length or size
• CPC Class Codes: A43D 1/02 Foot-measuring devices measuring the shape, pattern or size of the body for diagnostic purposes A61B5/103, e.g. measuring physical dimensions A61B5/107
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method for providing a custom shoe to a consumer, including identifying at least one characteristic about a consumer that is present within the retail store, the at least one characteristic relating to the consumer'"'"'s foot. Also included is selecting a plurality of pre-fabricated footwear components based on the at least one characteristic, assembling the plurality of prefabricated footwear components into a custom shoe that is customized to the consumer, and presenting the custom shoe to the consumer before the customer leaves the retail store.

Claims

1. A method for providing a custom shoe to a consumer, comprising:

identifying at least one characteristic about a consumer that is present within the retail store, said at least one characteristic relating to the consumer'"'"'s foot;

selecting a plurality of pre-fabricated footwear components based on said at least one characteristic;

assembling the plurality of prefabricated footwear components into a custom shoe that is customized to the consumer; and

presenting the custom shoe to the consumer before the customer leaves the retail store.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises identifying at least one of a measured or a non-measured characteristic of the consumer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said measured characteristic comprises at least one of two dimensional foot measurements, three dimensional foot measurements, pressure point measurements, weight measurements, or gait length measurements.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein said non-measured characteristic comprises a medical diagnosis, biomechanical problems, demographic information, customer habit information, customer activity level information or customer preference information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises manually identifying at least one characteristic of the consumer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said identifying comprises using a foot measuring station to automatically identify a characteristic of the consumer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises manually selecting the plurality of pre-fabricated footwear components.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting comprises automatically selecting the plurality of pre-fabricated footwear components using a computer.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said automatically selecting comprises printing a footwear prescription that lists the plurality of pre-fabricated footwear components in association with an identifier of the consumer.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising storing said footwear prescription in association with the identifier in a master database.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising updating the footwear prescription in response to feedback from the consumer.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a multimedia presentation to the consumer during said assembly step.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said providing a multimedia presentation comprises providing an education primer to the consumer based on the characteristics of the consumer'"'"'s foot.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

obtaining feedback from the consumer about the custom shoe; and

changing at least one footwear component to adjust the custom shoe to address the consumer'"'"'s feedback.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising selling the custom shoe to the consumer before the consumer leaves the retail store.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said selling comprises providing a purchase incentive to the consumer to induce the consumer to purchase the custom shoe.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said purchase incentive is provided based on a purchase history associated with said consumer.

18. A method for providing a specialized orthotic, comprising:

identifying at least one characteristic about a consumer that is present within the retail store, said at least one characteristic relating to the consumer'"'"'s foot;

determining from the at least one characteristic that the consumer could benefit from a specialized orthotic;

referring the consumer to a predetermined orthotics specialist who can prepare the specialized orthotic.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein said determining comprises automatically determining from the at least one characteristic that the consumer could benefit from a specialized orthotic.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said determining comprises automatically determining from measured characteristics of the consumer that the consumer could benefit from a specialized orthotic.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein said determining comprises automatically determining from non-measured characteristics of the consumer that the consumer could benefit from a specialized orthotic.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein said predetermined orthotics specialist is an entity under contract with an entity referring the consumer.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising said predetermined orthotics specialist preparing a specialized orthotic that is uniquely adapted to fit in a predetermined shoe type.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said specialized orthotic is uniquely adapted to fit in a shoe type provided by an entity referring the consumer.