Apps

Wanna Kicks is a killer AR shopping app that lets you try sneakers on before buying

Virtual shoe shopping – I’m all about it.

by
Joe Rice-Jones
January 30, 2019

Image: Wannaby

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Everyone who’s ever shopped online for shoes knows the disconnect between how they look in the pictures and how they look when they finally arrive. Maybe the color isn’t right, or the shape doesn’t quite look how you envisioned it. Aiming to take that guesswork out of the equation is Wannaby, a startup from Belarus that specialized in “AR commerce” experiences.

Its latest app is all about the kicks on your feet and should make finding the perfect pair easier.

“Wanna Kicks” uses AR to let you virtually try on sneakers using your phone. Only on iOS, for now, it’s simplicity itself to use. Pick one of the pairs of sneaks from the list of 3D models and point your camera at your feet. Instantly, you’ll see the new shoes overlay your feet, letting you see how they’ll look.

It’s a shame it can’t do virtual measurements for fit, all the Nike models in the app would just be a virtual disappointment for me as I can never find a pair that fits.

Check out the app in action

The effect is pretty good at tracking as you move the camera or your feet. It can’t yet replicate the image from standing in front of a mirror, although that’s in the works too.

Wannaby hopes that this tech will reduce returns, which is a huge cost to the industry currently. There’s just no real replacement for the brick-and-mortar experience while shoe shopping, so apps like this are a good start to bridging that gap.

It’s also good marketing. The Wanna Kicks app lets you share pics of your new virtual kicks to social media, inviting conversations over style. I can’t wait for an Android version of the app. I absolutely hate shoe shopping so do most of it online. If they manage to add using the camera to measure width fittings as well, it’d completely convert me to online shoe shopping.