Recognized by TIME Best Inventions. Backed by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Developed with Dr. Hylton Menz.
Designed in New York City. Crafted in Portugal.
Meet David
A veteran sneakerhead, operator, and investor who helped shape direct to consumer brands from the early days. He has led growth and lifecycle work across apparel, wellness, and home, reviewed hundreds of products, and advised founders on supply chain, merchandising, and brand.
David backs companies that blend technology with human centered design and teaches teams how to move from insight to product market fit. His weeks often include long travel days, city miles, and meetings where comfort and polish both matter.
We spoke with David about comfort, substance, and why AI tailored fit reset his standards. He wears the MODEL T professional sneaker.
AI tailored luxury sneakers that travel well and look sharp
David wanted one pair for long walks and meetings on the same trip. With a made to fit pair, comfort held over distance and the look worked with a suit or casual fit. See the MODEL T.
- Lower fatigue: Comfort that holds on long days.
- Posture support: Balanced feel when you rack up steps.
- Versatility: Works with a suit or casual fit.
- Consistency: Reorders keep the personalized dialed-in fit.
How personalization raises the bar for comfort and value
Mass sizing is a compromise. Shape and volume vary by person and between feet. That is why hotspots and slip appear.
The IAMBIC method pairs a three image smartphone scan with a short comfort survey. We model 20+ biometric variables. A biomechanical engineer reviews your plan. Your last is made to fit. Over time, Sole Print™ wear analysis and a learning loop inform the next pair.
Prefer live help? A biomechanical engineer can guide your scan on a video call. Read AI-tailored footwear or see how custom-fit shoes work.
Q&A with David
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.
To learn more about IAMBIC, explore our MODEL T shoe, recognized as a TIME Best Invention.
New to IAMBIC? Start with the Fit Guide Quiz.
Covered by our Signature Fit Guarantee. Unlimited refits until it feels perfect.
FAQs
How do I start if I’m new to IAMBIC?
Begin with the Fit Guide Quiz. You complete a guided smartphone scan and comfort survey at home.
How long does the scan take?
About 10 to 15 minutes at home. A smartphone and four sheets of printer paper are all you need.
Can a biomechanical engineer guide my scan on a video call?
Yes. If you prefer live support, a biomechanical engineer can guide your scan and review your plan.
How long does it take to receive my pair?
Most orders ship in about 4 to 6 weeks after you upload your consultation.
What if something feels off?
You’re covered by our Signature Fit Guarantee with unlimited refits until it feels right.
Are these appropriate for meetings and travel?
Yes. Customers wear the MODEL T as professional sneakers for the office, with suits, dresses, and smart casual looks. It works for flights and long days on your feet.
Sources
Helpful links
IAMBIC is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, monitor, or prevent specific medical conditions or illnesses.
The most interesting thing about them being crafted just for me is how well they fit. And I hadnever even noticed that my shoes didn't fit right. My other shoes don't hurt me - they just slosharound. With these, the heels actually stay on the whole time and it fits snugly yet stillcomfortably. And I'd never experienced that before. They just stay comfortable all day.
As a runner, as an athlete, just knowing that I'm doing a good service to my body is incredible.It’s the reason that I love my IAMBIC shoes. It's that precision that makes me feel safe to walkdown the street, get on the subway, do my commute, bring my kids to school, and not feelconcerned that I'm doing it in a shoe that doesn't fit right or that doesn't feel good.
The thing that I was surprised by the most with the precision fit is that any pressure points thatI had been feeling with the shoes that I previously came in wearing were completely gone. I waswearing a shoe that wasn't too tight. It wasn't too loose. The sole fit just right. Total comfort.That's the best way to put it.
So I suffer from chronic foot pain and I believe that a lot of that has to do with wearing shoesthat actually don't fit. Whenever I wear my IAMBICs, I've noticed that I have felt less pain,which is really incredible. And they're just so comfortable. I'm not worried about the back of my heel popping out or my ankles not having enough support. Also, they're just so stylish andevery timeI wear them out in the street, I always get compliments, which never happens to me.
A shoe that may feel comfortable for a half hour walk is not a shoe that always feels comfortablefor a three and a half hour walk. So what I like about IAMBIC is, even though the snug fit isthere and it feels comfortable, it also feels substantial enough that I can walk a lot withoutgetting any discomfort. That's just something that's especially important to me and I think theshoe has really delivered that.
The first moment that I tried on my IAMBIC shoes, I noticed a difference. I have small feet. So whenever I try on shoes, I usually expect them to not fit. If they do fit, there's usually some sort of discomfort, whether that's in the toe box or too much space or at the heel. So knowing that this shoe was tailored to my foot was really meaningful. It's rare that you find a shoe like IAMBIC that truly is comfortable, but also hits the markers of style versatility.
I think we're all placed on this earth as unique individuals. None of us are really off the rack in terms of sizing. So for me to have that experience of having something made specifically for me that fit perfectly was something that was a little bit mind blowing. And once I got the shoes, I tried them on, they looked great, they felt great. And honestly, they fit like a glove.