Editor’s note: The following excerpt is adapted from an interview originally published in Authority Magazine.
IAMBIC creates AI-tailored footwear engineered for movement and longevity. Each pair begins with a smartphone scan and comfort profile, analyzed by the Fit Engine using more than 20 biometric variables to build a digital last unique to each individual.
Handcrafted in Portugal from full-grain Italian leather, every pair unites European craftsmanship with advanced biomechanics. Recognized as a TIME Best Invention, IAMBIC brings science and artistry together in one seamless form where comfort meets precision.
Not ready to order? Take the Fit Guide Quiz for personalized fit guidance.
Building Connection Through Slow Fashion
Slow fashion calls for a deliberate relationship with what we wear. Maeve Wang, Co-founder and CEO of IAMBIC, shares how personalization deepens that connection by making each pair meaningful from the start.
“Slow fashion requires forming a deeper relationship with the products we use. At IAMBIC, we invite customers to name their shoes. This creates an emotional bond before the shoes even arrive, reinforcing that these are not disposable accessories—they are tools that support us every day.”
Maeve Wang, Co-founder & CEO, IAMBIC
IAMBIC fuses AI, craftsmanship, and slow fashion principles to create sustainable, precision-fit footwear on demand. In her interview with Monica Sanders for Authority Magazine, Maeve Wang discusses sustainability, personalization, and the evolution of AI-tailored design.
Read the full interview on Authority Magazine.
About Maeve Wang
Maeve T. Wang is the Co-founder and CEO of IAMBIC, a technology-driven footwear company redefining custom-fit design. Inspired by her own experience with poor-fitting shoes, she founded IAMBIC to merge personalization and data precision. With a background in strategy, corporate development, and consumer technology, she leads a global team blending data science and European craftsmanship.
About Monica Sanders
Monica Sanders, JD, LL.M. is the founder of The Undivide Project, promoting climate resilience and responsible technology in underserved communities. She teaches at Georgetown Law and Tulane University’s Disaster Resilience Leadership Academy and serves on several UN working groups. A former journalist and Emmy Award recipient, she advocates for equitable and sustainable innovation.
Not ready to order? Take the Fit Guide Quiz for personalized fit guidance.
FAQs
Do I need to take the Fit Guide Quiz before ordering?
No. You can go straight to the MODEL T page to order. If you prefer guidance, take the Fit Guide Quiz for personalized insights.
How long does production take?
Most pairs ship in about four to six weeks after your smartphone consultation. See How Custom-Fit Shoes Work for details.
How is IAMBIC more sustainable than standard brands?
IAMBIC eliminates size-run waste through made-to-order production and builds each pair to last from premium, ethically sourced materials.
Is my data secure?
Yes. Your scan and comfort data are encrypted and stored only to enhance your fit. We never share or sell personal information. Learn more on our Technology page.
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.