June 10, 2022 – Amazon Fashion, the fashion retail division of Amazon, Inc., has this week announced the launch of Virtual Try-On for Shoes, an interactive mobile experience that uses augmented reality (AR) to allow customers to visualize how a pair of shoes will look on their feet from every angle, and to better inform purchasing decisions, either from the comfort of their home or on the go.
According to Amazon, customers using the Amazon shopping app on iOS can use Virtual Try-On for Shoes to visualize thousands of sneaker styles from brands including New Balance, adidas, Reebok, Puma, Superga, Lacoste, Asics, and Saucony. Once a shoe has been selected, customers can tap the “Virtual Try-On” button on the product detail page and point the camera on their mobile device at their feet to see how the shoes will look. Customers can then move their feet to see how the shoe looks from every angle and use the carousel to easily swap colors of the same style without needing to exit the experience. Customers will also have the option of taking a photo of their virtual try-on experience and sharing the image on social media by clicking the “Share” icon.
“Amazon Fashion’s goal is to create innovative experiences that make shopping for fashion online easier and more delightful for customers,” said Muge Erdirik Dogan, President of Amazon Fashion. “We’re excited to introduce Virtual Try-On for Shoes, so customers can try on thousands of styles from brands they know and love at their convenience, wherever they are. We look forward to listening and learning from customer feedback as we continue to enhance the experience and expand to more brands and styles.”
Amazon added that Virtual Try-On for Shoes also provides brands a new way to showcase their products and will help to make shopping for different brand’s styles easier and more interactive for customers.
Commenting on the new Virtual Try-On functionality, Melissa Worth, Senior Vice President of North America at New Balance, said: “Innovation and elevating consumer experiences are at the core of New Balance. We’re excited to showcase our footwear selection in Amazon Fashion’s Virtual Try-On for Shoes as we continue to look for immersive ways to engage our shared customer base.”
As a predominantly online-based retailer, the adoption of Virtual Try-On for footwear shopping by Amazon could mark the beginning of a much wider adoption of AR technology across the rest of the company’s fashion retail business. Given that return shipping accounts for a huge logistics cost for the online fashion retail industry (in a large part due to customers returning ill-fitting items), reducing returns from happening altogether by allowing shoppers to try items on virtually instead will help to reduce costs for the company. Plus, as the accuracy of smartphone cameras and LIDAR technology improves, the ability of software to more accurately recommend the correct size will only improve, making the rollout of AR technology for Virtual Try-On in other areas of the wardrobe more likely.
Amazon customers in the US and Canada using the Amazon shopping app on iOS are able to access the experience now by going to amazon.com/virtualtryon. Amazon stated that although only currently available on its iOS shopping app, Virtual Try-On Shoes will be coming soon to Android.
Image / video credit: Amazon
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Sam is the Founder and Managing Editor of Auganix. With a background in research and report writing, he has been covering XR industry news for the past seven years.