A little over a month ago, I spotted an email in my inbox proposing I let a stranger scan my feet. It was from a startup named Groov. The company’s iPhone-exclusive app uses the phone’s FaceID camera and its TrueDepth sensor to map the contours of your feet. The company then ships you a pair of form-fitted insoles meant to offer more arch support and make your favorite shoes a whole lot more comfortable.
Of course, I had to say yes. Groov founder Dan Cataldi came to the Gizmodo office to show us his free-to-use app and his company’s insoles. He was adamant that people shouldn’t have to see a clinician just for the sake of shoes that don’t hurt, which I’ll say is a fair notion. He said he has dealt with flat feet since the end of his high school wrestling career, and the app was designed for those who need serious arch support but won’t get it from most insoles you can buy over the counter. They’re also more expensive than anything you get at a local Walgreens, costing around $150 for two inserts, though it comes with a promise of one-week shipping.
Beyond saving people a potentially expensive trip to the pedorthist, Cataldi said the app is supposed be faster and easier than other custom insole solutions. Some insole makers require you to step on a pad or other device to get an imprint of your foot, which you then send to the manufacturer for them to design your shoe insert. The arch naturally compacts when it steps on a surface, Cataldi said, which means if you want a better measurement of your foot’s shape, you need to take it with your foot in the air.
There have been past attempts at app-based custom insoles, like those made by Dr. Scholl’s, though what helps set Groov apart—other than the use of the iPhone’s depth camera—is a custom machine learning algorithm. Cataldi said the AI model is trained on hundreds of feet. The app takes this data to help it conform the insole to the dimensions of each individual’s foot and shoe. The Groov app creates a 3D model of each foot. The company promises that users’ data is anonymized and that their feet aren’t being used as the latest sideshow attraction on wikiFeet.
I have an odd relationship with shoes, a consequence of a youth spent barefoot in my backyard. My feet tend a little wide, which either results in painfully narrow sneakers likely to cause blisters, or else I buy shoes so large my toes rarely reach the point of the shoe. My most recent shoe adventure involved a new pair of leather boots that caused so much pain I ran out to buy a cheap pair of gel inserts for my heels.
The Groov app is only available on iPhone, though Cataldi said the company is trying to work out a version for Android (which itself is hard, as various phones may or may not support a depth sensor). Once you sign in, you need to provide your sex, shoe size, and whether you normally opt for a narrow or wide shoe. You can also provide it with a few details about whether you experience pain in any specific part of your foot.
How Does It Feel to Actually Wear the Groov Insoles?
To scan your foot, you’ll probably want a friend or close confidant who’s willing to get extra close to your hoofs. You don’t just scan the soles of your feet, but the sides and tops as well. The main scan has you put the phone on the ground and hold your foot above the selfie camera to get a good picture. The other scans require less balance, though if you’re alone you may need to rely on your past Twister practice to lean far enough away to get the sides of your feet in frame.
Users have the option of getting a default “Plush” or other elastic model called “Response.” The “Luxe” insole is made for shoes that don’t have removable linings. They also come with a faux-leather veneer to make it less visible. For review, Groov sent me two pairs, one the regular Plush model and the other Luxe, for use in those once-painful leather boots. Those boots were already broken in, but I still used the old gel inserts when walking around the city.
It took a little more than a week for Groov to ship my insoles to my office. I stuck the Plush insoles in shoes I used for walking around the city and for the gym, and immediately I could feel the difference. The extra arch support was not something I was at all used to, even with other insoles. They were also very form-fitted, especially for the sake of my gym shoes. I do fencing twice a week, and at first I wondered if the memory foam layer would start to deplete with all the stepping and stomping I get up to, but it held together and left me with no bother in my feet even after hours of workout.
I wore them for several weeks, which was enough time to see the Groov logo wear down on the rightmost insole. The Luxe insoles in my boots are much more rigid, enough that the arch punches right into my foot. This helped when walking but was occasionally uncomfortable when merely standing. I still vastly prefer them to the gel inserts previously protecting my heel. I’ve never been as aware of my arches as I was when wearing Groov’s insoles.
The other aspect is the cost, and this is where many potential customers may get cold feet. The base Groov insoles run for close to $150, though Cataldi said they are planning to make that pricing more transparent on the app and website as well as provide future bundles and deals. I have tried another pair of $50, shoe-agnostic insoles from Superfeet, and while they were meant specifically for workouts and hiking, I didn’t feel nearly as much arch support as Groov offered. I can’t tell you that other insoles brands don’t offer similar amounts of arch support, but the handy thing about Groov is how customized it is for the shoes you already own.
The Groov insoles aren’t as flashy as, perhaps, a pair of movement-powered insoles that warm or cool your feet. But in the end, it’s the feel that matters. If you deal with regular foot pain, these custom inserts may be worth the splurge.
