Editor’s Note: This article draws on TIME Magazine’s recognition of the IAMBIC MODEL T as one of the Best Inventions of the Year. It explores the precision-fit process and why AI-driven personalization is redefining footwear comfort for executives and performance professionals.
Custom-fit shoes built to the millimeter from advanced smartphone scanning, AI, and biomechanics. Designed in New York City. Crafted in Portugal. Your foundation is the MODEL T. From there, the Precision Fit Program learns from your wear so each new pair refines comfort, posture support, and all-day focus. You’re covered by our Signature Fit Guarantee with unlimited refits.
Not ready to order? Take the Fit Guide Quiz for personalized fit guidance and to learn if IAMBIC is right for you.
What this recognition highlights
- AI-tailored last built from your photos and comfort questionnaire
- Sizeless fit beyond standard size grids
- Handmade leather construction shaped to your data
- Learning loop using Sole Print™ tread-wear photos for pair two and beyond
- 50,000+ foot scans processed
- 98% scan-to-last geometry match
- Backed by the U.S. National Science Foundation
How the custom-fit process works
Step 1: Order your MODEL T.
Step 2: After checkout, we send a link to the Virtual Consultation. Take three images of each foot while standing on four sheets of printer paper and answer a short comfort survey. Our platform builds your comfort profile across 20+ biometric variables, including Sole Print™ wear-pattern signals.
Step 3: We craft and ship. A biomechanical engineer reviews your fit, and your design runs through our AI models before going to our craft partners in Portugal. Italian full-grain leather is cut and assembled to your geometry. Most orders ship in about 4–6 weeks. If anything feels off, we adjust with unlimited refits through the Signature Fit Guarantee.
Want the full walkthrough? Read How custom-fit shoes work and the Virtual Consultation Guide. Learn how each next pair evolves on the Precision Fit Program page.
Tech note: Our pipeline blends NASA-grade scanning with AI and engineering review, then learns from wear data.
In their words
“A shoe that may feel comfortable for a half-hour walk is not a shoe that always feels comfortable for a three-hour walk. What I like about IAMBIC is that, even though the snug fit is there, it also feels substantial enough that I can walk a lot without discomfort. That’s something especially important to me — and I think the shoe really delivers that.”
David B. — Read the full testimonial
Why this matters for executives
- Comfort that holds through long meetings and travel days
- Posture support and alignment over distance
- A fit relationship that improves with wear
About the TIME Magazine Author
Ashley Mateo is an award-winning journalist and editor covering health, fitness, and culture. Her work appears in TIME, The Wall Street Journal, Runner’s World, Women’s Running, and Men’s Journal. She is an RRCA- and UESCA-certified running coach, founder of RUNHER Magazine, and a Boston University journalism graduate based in Denver.
FAQs
How do I start if I’m new to IAMBIC?
Visit the MODEL T page and place your order, then complete the smartphone Virtual Consultation we send after checkout. If you want to learn more before ordering, take the Fit Guide Quiz for personalized fit guidance.
Can I do everything on my smartphone?
Yes. Set aside 10–15 minutes in a well-lit space. You’ll need a phone and 4 sheets of printer paper. Use Chrome or Safari.
How long does it take to receive my pair?
Most orders ship in about 4–6 weeks after your Virtual Consultation.
How do future pairs get better?
Your feedback and Sole Print™ wear photos guide refinements to geometry, cushioning, and structure through the Precision Fit Program.
How is my data handled?
Your scan and assessment are used to design your fit and support refits and future pairs. We store them securely and never sell personal data.
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.