In the latest example of Aetrex‘s innovative strategy, the brand’s new Zoe Pro has an artificial intelligence (AI) component that can help consumers find the right shoe in their brand of choice.
Zoe is the next-gen version of the flagship Albert Pro foot scanning technology. It’s a reimagined 3D foot scanner that’s more affordable for widespread adoption at retail.
The key is that Zoe retains the key 3D foot measurements from predecessor Albert Pro, along with critical underfoot pressure analysis, and it has AI-powered footwear recommendations. Zoe also features an AI assistant that help shoppers find the right fit through voice or text, essentially making it a virtual store associate.
The Albert, priced at $2,995, remains the company’s flagship as it has some advanced features that Zoe does not in order to keep the latter within the $1,995 price tag.
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Zoe has pre-installed Fit AI software, which can provide a list of shoe styles by brand at the store where it is installed.
According to Larry Schwartz, Aetrex’s chief executive officer (CEO), his firm works with Heeluxe, the footwear testing system. And if Heeluxe doesn’t have a specific shoe’s data points and measurements, the retailer can obtain the dimensions from the brand manufacturer for input into the system. DSW is currently a retailer that is using the scanner in their stores and has made available Fit AI to its customers. Others using the foot scanning machine include Puma, Foot Locker, Sheels, Schuler Shoes, and Nordstrom, among others, the Aetrex CEO said.
In April, Aetrex partnered with Tradehome Shoes to bring foot health screenings to athletes at the Special Olympics USA Games, held on June 20 to 26, 2026 at University of Minnesota and the National Sport Senter in Blaine. The company provided 12 Albert Pro 3D foot scanners stationed throughout Athlete Village, with complimentary Aetrex Speed Orthotics give to every participating athlete to improve their biomechanical alignment, reduce fatigue and help prevent injury.
And this month, Aetrex partnered with the IMG Academy, the world’s leading sports eduction brand, to install five Albert Pro foot scanners across the IMG campus in Bradenton, Fla. All 1,800 incoming student-athletes will receive an onboarding scan that provides personalized foot assessments covering arch type, pressure distribution, 16 key 3D measurements, and gait patterns. Each one will receive a pair of Aetrex athletic insoles, and using the Fit AI software system, they will be fitted with “the right pair of Under Shoes recommended as well,” Schwartz said.
Aetrex has 12,000-plus scanners placed in retail doors worldwide. It has, to date, over 50 million-plus unique customer foot scans performed since 2002, and a wealth of data points to draw for AI to parse through to compile the best shoe recommendation for the end user.
Looking ahead, AI will continue to play a dominant role. “A lot of it is [software] advancing AI and the AI assistant. We always have a scanner in the works too, but we don’t anticipate having the next one ready until sometime in ’27. So we’re working on the hardware side, but we’re working on the mobile side too,” Schwartz said, noting that a new app is expected to be available soon.
“We’re very bulling on what’s going on right now with AI,” the Aetrex CEO said. “We’re excited about where AI is going, [and] I think that if the market is allowed to keep moving like it is, it’s going to be an exciting time for everybody.”
Data learnings from Aetrex’s history of foot scanning also helps guide Aetrex’s line of footwear. “We use the learnings and data to make what we think are very smart shoes for the customer — where there are features to alleviate pressure under foot in the areas that you’re most susceptible to pain,” Schwartz said.
And Aetrex has a website called Foot.com, a research site for shoe brands. “You can really develop for the one-width shoe, [and] you can see the most common women’s [size] 7, for example, and develop your last based on that information,” Schwartz said.
