Digital assessment against US guidelines

Introducing a new SATRA service to help with making footwear with a more acceptable fit for customers in the US market.

Due to the ongoing popularity of SATRA’s Digital Last Assessment service, the option has now been introduced to evaluate lasts against US guidelines instead of standard UK recommendations.

Using a last with improper proportions will create a poorly-fitted shoe which could affect sales and, if purchased online, increase return rates. Currently, last design is likely to be digital and based overseas, leaving retailers and brands with little control in determining whether or not a last assessment was carried out and if the fit correlates with the company’s target markets.

SATRA’s Digital Last Assessment service is a simple, fast, accurate and cost-effective way to assess three-dimensional CAD files of men’s, women’s and children’s lasts.

While SATRA foot survey data shows the US foot to be similar to the UK foot, there are differences in industry standards, and these can influence what the customer feels is a ‘normal’ fit. Choosing to assess lasts against the relevant guidelines for the specific market can therefore provide a clearer picture of where to make adjustments.

SATRA offers three levels of service:

• Tier 1: Verification. An accurate measurement is made of the last for several key dimensions to confirm its size and verify the dimensions stated by the supplier or manufacturer. The cost for this service is from GBP 134 per last.
• Tier 2: Assessment. Alongside the verification carried out in Tier 1, this service includes an evaluation of the last for dimensional suitability against its marked size. Tier 2 is available from GBP 241 per last.
• Tier 3: Forecasting. This service includes the last verification and last assessment from Tiers 1 and 2, but also offers additional insight into the likely population coverage offered by a last (based on conclusions from SATRA’s Global Foot Dimensions report) and gives suggestions on changes which can be made to key measurements to maximise population coverage. The Tier 3 service costs from GBP 455 per last.

SATRA also offers a service to digitise the physical last, as not everyone has access to a digital file. Last digitalisation is available from GBP 105 per last.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 4 of the May 2024 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

Other articles from this issue »

---