A friendly monster is helping shoe shops in the USA scan children’s feet.

New Jersey-based Aetrex has already rolled out the technology to more than 1000 retailers including Tradehome and select DSW stores.

The children’s foot scanning technology is called Tootsie, and is available within the software of its Albert 2 Pro premium 3D foot scanner. Tootsie guides children through the foot scanning process in a fun and educational way.

With each foot scan, the software provides comprehensive and accurate 3D foot measurements and a recommended shoe size.

Kids aged four to six are likely to change shoe sizes up to three times per year, and only an estimated one in three kids are wearing the proper shoe size. This can lead to various foot problems, including athlete’s foot and blisters. With Tootsie, families can be sure their kids get sized properly for the best fitting shoes, which in turn helps prevent future foot problems.

Once a child stands on the Albert 2 Pro, Tootsie guides them through the foot scanning process, encouraging them to stand still by counting to five before capturing their unique foot data. The talking monster also dances during the seconds long scanning process, equipping parents and store associates with accurate foot measurements and recommended shoe size.  

“Tootsie is truly changing the game for kid’s shoe shopping,” said Larry Schwartz, CEO of Aetrex. “The foot measuring process for kids today typically involves a parent struggling to help put a wiggling child onto a Brannock device, measuring one foot at a time, which is not usually fun for the child or the parent. Our goal was to design kids-specific scanning software to keep the child excited and entertained during the scan process, and to quickly measure both feet at the same time. Shoe shopping for kids should be fun and not like going to the dentist, like it was before Tootsie.”

Following the initial foot scan, Tootsie sends parents a six-month reminder to get their children’s feet re-scanned, ensuring kids have proper fitting shoes year-round for their rapidly growing feet. Through this process, retailers can build customer loyalty and offer personalised marketing materials that can help increase their bottom line. Participating retailers also have the option to offer Tootsie-branded promotional items such as balloons, stickers, temporary tattoos and T-shirts to children who use the foot scanner, which helps drive further excitement and participation.

Current Aetrex technology partners who sell children’s shoes can immediately and seamlessly integrate the Tootsie software into their Albert 2 Pro scanners free of charge. To learn more about Tootsie and the Albert 2 Pro, visit aetrex.com/technology.

Since 2002, Aetrex (www.aetrex.com) has placed over 12,000 scanners worldwide that have performed more than 50 million unique customer foot scans, currently averaging more than 2.5 million scans a year.