Editor’s note: Shape explored how modern technology is redefining fit and featured IAMBIC for its precision-fit, sizeless design. Read the full feature here: Shape article.
IAMBIC pairs a simple smartphone scan with a comfort profile to shape a digital last made for you, then handcrafts each pair in Portugal. Recognized as a TIME Best Invention and supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation.
Not ready to order? Take the Fit Guide Quiz for personalized fit guidance.
The IAMBIC difference
- Smartphone self-scan: A guided three-image capture directly in your browser.
- Custom-fit from your geometry: Designed from your 3D measurements and comfort preferences.
- Crafted in Portugal: Full-grain leather construction shaped to your personal last.
- Improves over time: Sole Print wear feedback refines future pairs.
Learn more in How Custom-Fit Shoes Work and AI-Tailored Footwear.
Introducing the MODEL T
The MODEL T blends quiet design with all-day comfort that remains consistent through movement and travel. Named a TIME Best Invention, it is built on technology recognized by the NSF SBIR Phase II Award.
How to get started
Ready to order? Visit the MODEL T page and place your order. After checkout, you will receive a link to complete your smartphone Virtual Consultation (three photos of each foot and a short comfort profile).
- Complete your Virtual Consultation. Use good lighting, a hard floor, and white paper to capture accurate data.
- We review and build. A biomechanical engineer reviews your profile, and your pair is crafted in Portugal. Most orders ship in about 4 to 6 weeks after your consultation is uploaded.
Still exploring? Take the Fit Guide Quiz to discover your personalized fit and learn how IAMBIC adapts to you.
FAQs
What does “custom fit” mean compared to standard sizes?
IAMBIC creates a last from your 3D foot geometry and comfort profile, addressing factors like heel slip, forefoot width, and arch volume for complete balance and alignment.
Can I do the full process on my smartphone?
Yes. You can complete the scan and comfort profile entirely in your phone’s browser with good lighting and a few sheets of white paper.
How long does it take?
Most orders ship in about 4 to 6 weeks after completing your Virtual Consultation.
What if something feels off?
You are covered by our Signature Fit Guarantee with unlimited refits.
Is the MODEL T appropriate for office wear and travel?
Yes. Customers wear the MODEL T for business, travel, and daily performance. The design supports long hours and movement with comfort that stays consistent.
About the Shape Author
Jennifer Heimlich is a senior writer at Shape, a certified running coach, and lifelong athlete. She covers performance, health, and recovery with a focus on footwear innovation and wellness design. Her editorial approach blends personal experience with data-driven insight into movement and comfort.
Helpful links
IAMBIC is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any medical conditions.
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 didn't fit right. My other shoes don't hurt me - they just slosh around. With these, the heels actually stay on the whole time and it fits snugly yet still comfortably. 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 walk down the street, get on the subway, do my commute, bring my kids to school, and not feel concerned 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 was wearing 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 comfort able 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. That's just something that's especially important to me and I think the shoe 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.
When we get behind the wheel of a Ferrari, Lamborghini, people feel that precision. 1 millimeter of change in the steering wheel, you will feel that. 1 millimeter of pressure into the accelerator, you’ll feel that. And for me, that is a linkage between performance, but then for me as I'm wearing my IAMBICs, it's just another reminder of how my IAMBICs are created based on that performance and the millimeter of precision that's included within the shoe which aligns up with the world of Ferrari and Lamborghini and the precision behind that.
Having a pair of shoes that I know will make me be able to stand up and do the job that I need to do without feeling burnt out or exhausted at the end of the day, which most shoes will end up doing no matter what they've been in the past. After a certain amount of time standing up, I don't think I've ever worried about that, or had that fatigue after a long shoot. At the end of a shoot when it's “Oh hey, we have to go into overtime." or something like that. This is something that helps me not feel the fatigue of being drained or tired because it's a pain that I don't get anymore from being on my feet for so long.
They're so comfortable that they're a part of life. They move with you, and I think that's the support, the comfort. I don't wear them just for the style, I wear them because they make me feel good. That's a really big thing for me.
When I wear my dress shoes, I'm constantly thinking OK, I wish I brought a pair of sneakers, and then when I have my sneakers on, then I'm tending to deal with the issues in the upper, right, part of the shoe whether on the front or back of my foot. So I want to say to myself, okay how do I replicate the feel of the IAMBIC shoe because I wear this every day.
What will happen is I'll wear my IAMBICs, I'm like this is great, like my day is good, I don't really notice anything. And then, if I switch to a different pair of shoes, especially like my very high end sneakers and I have a not bad collection of other high end sneakers, I'm immediately like ugh this just sucks like they really do. So I think it's the relational sort of experience where when I'm wearing my IAMBICs, I don't really notice and I think that says a lot. And it’s not until you wear a different set of shoes that you're like oh the reason I'm not noticing is because these fit my feet so well.