Improving shoe fit for Canadian feet

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The main objective of this project is to improve the fit of shoes purchased from Mark's Work Wearhouse. This will be done by first creating a database of the three-dimensional shapes of Canadian feet, then using higher order analysis techniques to identify a small set of 'typical' Canadian foot shapes. This information will be transferred to Mark's Work Wearhouse shoe last designers, such that the shoes that Mark's produces are more accurately built to the size and shape of actual Canadian feet. A straightforward extension to this project would be the implementation of 3D foot scanners in Mark's stores, where consumers shopping for new shoes would have their feet quickly scanned, and then they would be objectively directed to the shoe size and shape that they should purchase. This innovation would be unparalleled among footwear retailers. Improving footwear fit in this way would directly decrease discomfort, pain, and foot deformities associated with ill-fitting shoes, which are estimated to currently afflict more than half of the population.