Every IAMBIC pair begins as data captured through a 3D scan that maps more than twenty biometric variables per foot. The Fit Engine transforms that data into a digital last measured in millimeters, not sizes.
From there, European artisans cut full-grain Italian leather and assemble your pair with precision. The result is a balance of engineering and craft, footwear designed to move intelligently with you.
Named a TIME Best Invention and supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation. Designed in New York City. Crafted in Portugal.
Not ready to order? Take the Fit Guide Quiz to explore your precision fit.
Meet Keith C.
Keith is a seasoned tech entrepreneur and venture investor who has built companies at the intersection of technology and human performance. As founder of FitLinxx (#20 on the Deloitte Fast 500) and Great Play (three-time Entrepreneur 500 company), he pioneered innovations in fitness technology and motion analysis for children’s development.
Now, as Managing Director at Techstars in Washington DC and NYC, Keith guides the next generation of founders. He holds multiple patents in sensor and machine-vision technology, has raised more than $50 million in venture funding, and earned degrees from Cornell and MIT.
Keith wears the MODEL T in white and black. We spoke with him about fit, comfort, and the moment heel slip stopped.
From heel slip to secure comfort
For Keith, comfort meant stability. His heels used to lift with each step in traditional dress shoes. After switching to a pair crafted to his exact fit, the slip stopped. Walking New York sidewalks felt lighter and more efficient without pressure points or friction.
Discover the MODEL T engineered for endurance and balance.
Why secure fit matters for executive performance
Feet are asymmetric and dynamic, changing with heat, travel, and workload. A precise fit supports alignment and reduces fatigue so your focus stays on the day ahead.
- Posture support: Alignment that lasts through long hours.
- Lower fatigue: Reduced strain during meetings and travel.
- Fewer hotspots: No heel slip or friction.
- Consistency: Fit that improves with each pair through the Precision Fit Program.
How personalization solves heel slip
Mass sizing relies on averages. Two people sharing a size can have entirely different heel shapes, arch heights, and instep volumes, which is why slip happens. IAMBIC eliminates that compromise.
Our Fit Engine combines three smartphone images with a comfort survey to model more than twenty biometric variables. A biomechanical engineer reviews each fit plan before craft begins. Every pair is built from your geometry and refined through Sole Print analysis over time.
Prefer guidance on your first scan? Schedule a live consultation with an engineer. Learn more in IAMBIC 101 and How custom-fit shoes work.
Q&A with Keith
How did it feel wearing a true one-of-one pair of shoes crafted just for you?
The most interesting thing about them being crafted just for me is how well they fit. And I had never even noticed that my shoes did not fit right. My other shoes do not hurt me, they just slosh around. My feet kind of move around in them to make up for that. With these, the heels actually stay on the whole time and it fits snugly yet still comfortably. And I had never experienced that before.
And it ends up being much better for walking around and putting miles on them each day, walking around the streets of New York. They just stay comfortable all day.
How do you feel about the look and style of the shoes?
So I was actually surprised by how cool they look too and how I wear them with just about anything. I am now finding that I put them on whether it is with jeans or with a jacket or whatever it might be and it just dresses them up and I feel better wearing them. And then people who notice shoes actually comment, which has never happened to me before. People will actually comment, "Those are cool, where did you get those?" So I love it.
I like being an early adopter of new technology. My home is fully automated. I wear the latest trackers on fingers and wrists. So when people notice and ask, "What are those shoes? Those are pretty cool," I have a really interesting story to tell. I took three pictures of my feet and they sent me a custom pair that fit just right and they are super comfortable.
What aspects of IAMBIC’s technology impressed you the most?
It was just really cool to be able to take just three pictures of my foot to be able to get the sense that this thing is going to be built just for me. It did not actually seem likely to be possible that it would be that simple. And then when I first put them on and they fit exactly right and the heels do not slip and they stay on and they are comfortable, it just really hit home that that is how all shoes should be made. So it was just a really cool process.
What excites you the most about your shoes becoming more personalized with each pair through the Sole Print technology?
So my very first pair of IAMBICs already fit really well. The fact that as I wear them more and more, you can see I am getting some wear on them already, as I wear them more and more, the fact that it might even get better is pretty surprising. But it also makes it that I am not likely to ever switch to another type of shoe. It is hard to picture what better would feel like, but the fact that more data will help out, that is pretty cool.
Can you describe the moment you first put on your IAMBIC shoes and felt the precision fit?
So the first time I got my IAMBICs and I put them on, I really was not quite sure what to expect. I thought they would be good. And they felt about right just putting them on, like a nice normal snug shoe that fits right. But then it was really walking around in them the first time and going, "That is weird. The heel is not slipping off." And I had never really experienced a dress shoe where it stayed on tightly. My loafers, my heel just kind of comes in and out and that is why they are comfortable.
But these, the heels stayed in and I found that the shoes kind of hugged me as I was walking, and it was not in an uncomfortable way. And then it turns out that as you walk all day, and I put a few miles on them a day in New York, they stay comfortable all day. My feet never get tired. So it is really quite impressive and cool technology.
How has experiencing precision fit transformed your expectations for all footwear?
Some shoes that are many times the price that I tend to wear are one of twelve sizes and they do not fit quite right. So when we are talking about these sorts of price points, the fact that this customization is not part of them is actually now surprising.
This is the kind of technology, and I love new technology, but this is the kind of technology that you just now say, "I do not know why this did not exist before." And it becomes obvious once you start using them that it should have always existed and all shoes should be made this way. It does not make sense that we just buy half sizes apart and they fit broadly, maybe okay. Your shoes should be made to fit you, and it is way more comfortable.
Explore the MODEL T and learn why it was named a TIME Best Invention.
FAQs
How does the process work for my first pair?
Step 1: Order your MODEL T.
Step 2: Complete a Virtual Consultation on your smartphone by taking three photos per foot and answering a short comfort profile.
Step 3: Your pair is crafted in Portugal and ships in about 4 to 6 weeks.
Can a biomechanical engineer guide my scan live?
Yes. You can schedule a video session for support and fit review.
What if my heels still slip?
Your fit plan includes preferences and adjustments. We stand behind the Signature Fit Guarantee with unlimited refits.
How do future pairs improve?
Each pair learns from your feedback and Sole Print wear photos to refine geometry and comfort through the Precision Fit Program.
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 shoes that 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 and every time I 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.