Want to “improve your posture, align your balance and live your life?” That's the ad campaign for SOLS, a $3 million company that makes custom 3D-printed orthotics, a custom-made insert or footbed placed in a shoe. As a child, founder Kegan Schouwenburg said she was flat footed, and her goal is to bring orthotics out of the closet and to a mainstream audience.

Based in New York City, SOLS is well aware that the market for orthotics users is diverse. Its segmentation strategy includes a variety of users across age and lifestyle demographics. Users of orthotics usually face health and medical issues related to diabetes, obesity, and arthritis. In addition, another market segment includes athletes and runners.

In the past, orthotics were sold primarily through foot doctors (podiatrists), who made a plastic cast of the patient's foot before crafting a pair of inserts. With SOLS, customers, many of whom happen to be runners, can realize quick foot comfort through an iPad app. Using 3D printing technology, each pair of orthotics is custom made with thinner, more flexible, and better-fitting materials than traditional orthotics.

By completing a simple profile, including weight, height, and lifestyle information, and uploading three “feet selfies” of each foot in weightbearing and non-weight-bearing stances, SOLS runs a series of processing algorithms. Over a thousand data points are extrapolated to generate a 3D model of the custom insole. The insoles, which match the customer's foot almost exactly, are produced and shipped within a week from a factory in Austin, Texas. Because of its unique product, SOLS has made believers out of many runners and nonrunners alike, who are eager to take “feet selfies” to get the proper fit and ease their foot pain.

Questions for Critical Thinking

1. Dr. Scholl's, a famous packaged foot care brand, has installed “foot mapping kiosks” at major retailers. Compare the Dr. Scholl's user to the SOLs user. How might they differ?

2. What other market segments should SOLS target?