Print advert tells customers their foot type

Brazilian ad agency Neogama has developed a print ad that users can stand on to reveal their foot type, and the most suitable running trainers to get.

A lot people take up running thinking the only measurement they need to know is shoe size. They have no idea what words like pronator, supinator and neutral even mean in the world of running trainers and it’s only usually after suffering chronic knee, ankle or back injuries – and then being advised by a physio during treatment – that they start to get clued up on the subject. But the equipment that scans feet – like this FeetID Ecosystem – is expensive and far from omnipresent. Flagship running stores in the world’s largest cities will have 3D scanners (that are usually GBP 20-30 a scan unless you buy a pair of very expensive trainers with the scan), but many people still don’t have access to the tech.

But it’s a tech that might soon be redundant. Ad agency Neogama came up with a truly innovative idea for its client Asics. It’s a double page spread print ad that unfolds like a mat and is covered in thermochromic ink. The user steps onto it, and the ink reacts to the feet’s heat, illustrating the foot shape. The user merely compares the result to the examples down the side to see which category they fall in, and can then make a much more informed choice either down a sports store or online. And while it maybe Asics who ran the ad – all running shoes are made to the three main gaits so the results from the thermochromic ink would help a runner regardless of what brand trainers they prefer.

There are other ways of finding out more about your feet as a means to running, such as Under Armour’s smart running shoe which helps to reduce injury. What other high tech applications could traditional print media be used for?