Technology
AR reality experience propelling an engaging footwear shopping experience
An AR experience featuring a friendly monster named Tootsie is making footwear measuring a fun time for young shoppers.
November 4, 2025 by Judy Mottl — Editor, RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com
Most parents can attest that taking young children to get sneakers or shoes can be, at the very least, a trying and a bit stressful experience.
Between choosing potential styles and taking the necessary foot size measurement can be exasperating, for both the adult and the child.
But Aetrex, a company providing foot scanning technology (its Tootsie Foot Scanning program debuted last year), aims to eliminate all the stress when it comes to footwear shopping.
Its solutions also aim to elevate in-store engagement and increase retail sales.
Bringing AR into the foot measuring experience
Aetrex has expanded its Tootsie program with a Tootsie Augmented Reality feature.
The AR experience utilizes a friendly monster character, named Tootsie, to guide children through the foot measurement process.
Now, after completing a foot scan, kids can step into Tootsie's virtual world with the Meta Quest 3 or 3S VR headset. Children can see Tootsie come to life in-store, sparking conversation, joining playful dance-offs and creating a memorable shopping journey.
"Shopping for kids' footwear can often be a challenge — children may become restless, bored, or hesitant to try on shoes. By making the experience interactive and fun through foot scanning and engaging technology like the Tootsie AR program, the process becomes smoother, faster, and far less stressful for families," CEO Larry Schwartz said in an email interview.
"Regular scans help ensure children are always in the correct size and style for their growing feet, leading to healthier development and greater comfort. A proper fit not only results in happier kids but also reduces returns and builds stronger trust with parents. And when children associate a retailer with fun, exciting technology, and personalized care, they're more eager to return — creating lasting customer loyalty," said Schwartz.
Engagement opportunities
Tootsie AR offers retailers additional engagement opportunities, such as a digital photo booth for pictures with Tootsie and branded giveaways, including Tootsie-themed trading cards, digital wallpapers and more.
"The Aetrex Tootsie AR program is designed to seamlessly track usage for each goggle device, capturing the date and time of every session in the cloud. Participating retailers can receive detailed reports showing how many Tootsie AR experiences occurred per device within their stores over a given period," Schwartz said.
The data provides valuable visibility into engagement trends by store and by day of the week.
"Additionally, Aetrex can deliver comparative reports that align foot scanner usage with Tootsie AR sessions, helping retailers understand how the two programs influence one another. By pairing this information with their sales reports, retailers can gain actionable insights into the relationship between customer engagement and sales performance," said Schwartz.
The opportunity to boost sales
The child and shopping experience for adults gives a retailer a new way to build loyalty and boost sales.
The Tootsie 3D foot scanning program has been deployed to over 1,3000 retailers worldwide, according to Aetrex. The Tootise package with giveaways such as temporary tatoos and stickers, is available in select DSW, Tradehome and Scheels locations.
DSW has deployed Tootsie AR but declined to provide feedback in a request for comment as it's only been in play for a short time.
Melissa Brandford, SVP at DSW, stated in a press release that the AR capability has brought footwear shopping "to another level." The Aetrex technology, she added, "does an incredible job making in-store shopping personal and engaging, and it works. People come into our stores specifically to see Tootsie and have a memorable experience."
Aetrex's proprietary scanners include Zoe Pro, Albert Pro, Albert 3DFit, Albert Pressure and several others and since 2002, Aetrex has placed over 12,000 scanners worldwide that have performed more than 50 million unique customer foot scans.
"Incorporating AR, games and interactive foot scanning experiences captivates children, helping a retail store stand out competitors or online options. The Tootsie AR experience transforms a routine shopping trip into something kids — and parents — look forward to, building positive emotional associations with the brand," said Schwartz.
About Judy Mottl
