A Veteran Sneakerhead's Path to AI-Tailored Luxury

Meet David, a visionary force in the direct-to-consumer revolution who's been dubbed the "guru of the consumer and retail startup movement" by Inc. magazine. As someone who's helped shape the modern e-commerce landscape through his investments in game-changing brands like Warby Parker, Bonobos, and Harry's, David brings a fascinating blend of academic rigor and real-world business acumen to the conversation about AI-driven footwear innovation. Having taught at the Wharton School and backed numerous successful startups, he's developed a keen eye for spotting companies that combine technology with consumer-centric design. 

We sat down with David to discuss his IAMBIC experience and discover how precision-fit footwear has redefined his approach to shoes, transforming this former sneakerhead's perspective on what true luxury means when technology meets personalization.

Can you describe the experience of getting a bespoke pair of shoes from IAMBIC tailored uniquely to you?

Well, I think it's my first pair of bespoke shoes, which I really, really enjoy.

Number one, I really like the aesthetic and the style—the trim around the edge of the sole. I also really like just the sturdiness of the shoe and kind of the substantive nature of it. Then secondly, of course, the fit that just fits my feet really well, irrespective of what kind of socks and everything else I'm wearing. There's a third thing. I feel like I can dress it up and dress it down. So I could use it with a suit or I could have my IAMBICs with a more casual outfit too.

How did it feel wearing a true one-of-one pair of shoes crafted just for you? 

I think that's pretty cool. I was a bit of a sneaker head back in the day. Maybe not quite so much now, but I have a pretty extensive collection and you're running the gamut from Converse and sort of cheaper but pretty cool sneakers all the way up sometimes to designer but unusual brands. But this is the first time I've ever had one that's exactly tailored to my foot. And that really comes through just in the wearing experience. 

I mean, I have other ones that are comfortable to wear too. But it was kind of nice to know that this was specifically catered to the idiosyncratic arch and everything else that I have in my foot. And it's just nice. I don't have a bespoke suit. So I'm starting at the feet and working up.

What does owning an addition of one pair of shoes mean to your personal identity and style?

In terms of style, I like the fact that I've got a shoe that's really like a dress shoe and also a sneaker because it's so substantive and also it has a really interesting mark. I've got the green around mine. I also like the red as well. I could actually imagine owning two white pairs, one with green and one with red, just to cover the different kinds of trim. But I think it's just nice to have something that's been built specifically for you, particularly something where the functional value really matters. The fact that I now have shoes that are made just exactly to the image of my own foot, I know that's actually doing me some good. When I'm walking around New York or another city, I do a lot of walking. I don't get any soreness or any irritation in my feet, which is great.

How do you feel about the look and style of the shoes? 

That's actually one thing that was a real selling point for me. The reason that I was buying it was because I knew it would be super comfortable, customized, really durable. But if I really didn't like the way it looked, then I wouldn't actually get to that point of trying it. 

A recent example—I had to travel pretty extensively and I wanted to take running shoes so that I could work out. So I'm down to one pair of shoes, because I'm a carry on guy. And it was pretty clear that the only one I was going to take was my IAMBICs. I was going to be in Europe doing a little walking. I also had a couple of business meetings and needed to look quasi-formal. So what was the one shoe that I could have that would accomplish all those tasks that would look stylish, but also be good enough that it would literally be the only shoe that I'd be wearing aside from when I was in the gym? That was kind of cool. I haven't had that versatility before. Otherwise, it would have been a very uncomfortable trade-off.

In your perception, how did the smartphone-based foot scan technology impact what you feel when you wear the shoes?

It's a very substantial shoe. So it has a great sole. It's very thick, but at the same time, it's really comfortable. For me, if I do a lot of walking, I need a shoe that has some substance. I'm a reasonably big guy, a shoe that may feel comfortable for a half hour walk is not a shoe that always feels comfortable for a three and a half hour walk. So what I like about IAMBIC is, even though the snug fit is there and it feels comfortable, it also feels substantial enough that I can walk a lot without getting any discomfort when I go on something of long duration. That's just something that's especially important to me and I think the shoe has really delivered that.

How does IAMBIC’s use of technology set it apart from other shoe brands?

As someone who spends a lot of time in the consumer space, technology is something that's being brought to bear on a lot of different product categories. Even if you think about personal care, sunscreen, hair care, skin care, all of those things, food. There are a lot of categories now where there's some element of technology—food science, skin science, microbiome. So this is a general wave that's hitting. In footwear, you're talking about the physics of movement and you're talking about using customization to fit a really important part of the body. For me as an individual consumer, it's more impactful. I have other products that I use as a consumer that have some element of science or customization behind them, but they're probably not as critical to my daily life as what I'm putting on my feet. So that aspect of the science is actually really important to me.

What excites you the most about your shoes becoming more personalized with each pair through the Sole Print technology?

I think that's pretty cool, right? That I've got a product now that's kind of learning about me as I go. You think about Netflix. You think about Spotify—what I listen to on Spotify determines some of the songs that they show me what I watch on Netflix dictates some of the recommendations I get, which is actually great because ferreting out different things and content can be a little bit difficult. So if you have a company behind the scenes who's telling you about new things or customizing—I've not had this yet in a physical product I use. I think the fact that my shoe on some level is learning about my gait and how I'm walking, such that when the next one comes along, it's going to be even at the margin more informed—that's pretty exciting. It's not so much that I'm wearing the shoe out or wearing it down, although it may take me years to do that. But in the process of using it, I'm getting an additional benefit. That to me is quite exciting.

Can you describe the moment you first put on your IAMBIC shoes and felt the precision fit? 

It just felt really snug. It felt like a nice fitting slipper, but a slipper that was substantial. I could sense the fit over the top of the shoe, and my foot fit right in perfectly in terms of the length and everything. It was just kind of snug, almost like putting on a sock with a little bit more heft. And it just felt really comfortable. Very easy—no need for walking around stomping like you used to do when trying shoes at Foot Locker, testing different half sizes and so on.

How has experiencing precision-fit transformed your expectations for all footwear?

It's really made me rethink the number of shoes I need and the price point that I'm willing to pay for a shoe that is not customized to me. That price point is probably a bit lower. I'm now less willing to spend a few hundred bucks on a pair of sneakers that are just purely mass, which might be fine. It has changed my perception of the product category. It probably means that if I've got a black pair and a white pair of IAMBICs, I can probably cut down the number of formal shoes that I need to buy. I can probably cut down the number of sneakers too. It's going to allow me to shrink the number of shoes that I wear and it's going to make me really think carefully about the value prop of a shoe that's multiple hundreds of dollars if it's not actually customized.