TECH TALK: Algorithms to help you buy the right shoes

WizeSize has developed a revolutionary solution based on Deep Learning algorithms and proprietary foot-scanning technology to provide accurate and immediate size recommendation.

By ARIEL SHAPIRA
Noam Malali (photo credit: Courtesy)
Noam Malali
(photo credit: Courtesy)
More than one billion pairs of shoes are sold online every year, with customers returning more than 25% of their orders due to fitting issues. There is also low customer confidence for buying shoes online due to the same fitting issues.
These fitting issues are based on the fact that sizes of shoes greatly differ depending on the brand and shoe models. There is no standard shoe-sizing method that allows customers to confidently purchase shoes without physically trying on the shoe to ensure the best fit for the specific model they are interested in.
WizeSize has developed a revolutionary solution based on Deep Learning algorithms and proprietary foot-scanning technology to provide accurate and immediate size recommendations for all brands and models, allowing shoppers to confidently purchase shoes online.
The solution is offered as an integrated service to online retailers to increase their conversion rates while reduce the high industry standards of product returns associated with fitting issues when buying shoes online.
WizeSize in currently available in Israel on www.shoetube.co.il, which allows shoppers in Israel to purchase shoes at discounted prices from America. Shoppers on ShoeTube can browse through a catalogue of popular brands and models from the leading American websites, such as 6pm, Zappos and DSW, to order shoes with premium delivery to Israel at discount prices.
A simple foot scan with the WizeSize app uses the smartphone’s camera to create a 3-D image of the foot to provide a unique sizing reference for use when shopping on ShoeTube. The WizeSize app is currently available on Android and iPhone.
WizeSize was founded in 2014 by Noam Malali, who served in the IDF’s elite intelligence unit 8200. Over the span of more than two years, he and a team of leading deep-learning and computer-vision experts developed the solution. The user-generated data from the patent-pending 3-D scan is combined with proprietary deep-learning and similarity-learning algorithms for optimal predictive matching. The result is a quick and effective “shoe-to-foot” matching solution that supports all shoe sizes, brands and models.
Israeli start-up Pepperi’s B2B sales
Ra’anana-based start-up Pepperi can list numerous leading international brands as its customers, including Unilever, Seiko, SodaStream, Hallmark and Rip Curl. These companies are successfully using Pepperi’s B2B (Business to Business) cloud-based sales platform to grow their sales and improve productivity.
Mobile technology and the ubiquity of the Internet are changing the world of commerce.
Consumers can shop wherever they want: in a nearby store or anywhere in the world – online.
Retailers who are buying goods to sell in their shops have the same luxury: They are no longer bound to ordering from a local wholesaler; they can order goods from anywhere in the world.
For brands and wholesalers this is both a threat and an opportunity. On the one hand, the Internet intensifies the competition they are facing. On the other hand, mobility presents a wealth of possibilities to improve the productivity of their field sales force – the sales people who sell to the retailer and the merchandisers who check the brand’s display and stock shelves. To stay competitive, brands and wholesalers must also offer a B2B e-commerce site where retailers can order stock without depending on the visit of the sales person.
Pepperi gives them one platform that enables them to manage all their sales channels and activities. Old-fashioned paper pads or cumbersome portable devices are replaced with a mobile app that can be used on any phone or tablet. Orders go directly into the brands’ back office for immediate fulfillment, streamlining operations and reducing costs.
The newfound efficiency of the sales people enables them to focus on the brand’s in-store presence and on