AETREX is an American foot-health and footwear company that integrates orthotics, comfort footwear, and digital foot-scanning technology. Founded in 1946, the company evolved from a family business specialising in arch supports into a technology-driven brand whose products are built around foot measurements, pressure data, biomechanics, and personalised fit. Its headquarters are located in Teaneck, New Jersey, with international operations in Israel and China. 1

AETREX is distinct because it is not simply a comfort-shoe company that added arch support. Its historical roots lie in orthotics, and the company subsequently developed its own scanning hardware, software, databases, and footwear-design systems. 2

AETREX currently describes itself as a global leader in foot-scanning technology, orthotics, and comfort/wellness footwear. Corporate information states that the company has placed more than 12,000 scanners worldwide, generating more than 50 million unique foot scans.

1946: The Beginning

The story of AETREX begins in 1946, when brothers Paul and Charles Schwartz established a business originally known as Apex. The company started by manufacturing arch supports, orthotic products, and related foot-care components.

This origin is key to understanding the brand today. Rather than starting as a conventional fashion-footwear label, AETREX developed from the pedorthic and orthotic side of the footwear industry. The Schwartz family has remained closely associated with the company for multiple generations, with AETREX describing itself as privately owned by the family for three generations.

1990s: Moving Toward Digital Foot Health

A major transformation began in the late 1990s. In 1999, AETREX created the Foot Health Network, initially using the internet to connect consumers with foot-care information and retailers. In 2000, it established Foot.com, which became an important digital resource for foot-health information. 3

This period marked a transition from AETREX being primarily a physical-product company toward becoming a company with significant software, data, and digital capabilities.

2002: Foot Scanning

One of AETREX’s most important milestones came in 2002, when it introduced iStep, a pressure-based digital foot-analysis platform. This brought computerised foot measurement into the retail footwear environment. Instead of relying only on conventional shoe sizing, retailers could obtain information about a customer’s feet and use it to recommend footwear and orthotics.

This innovation became the foundation of AETREX’s modern business model.

2010s: From Scanning to 3D Data

AETREX subsequently expanded from pressure measurement into 3D foot scanning, combining hardware, software, computer vision, and data analysis.

In 2018, AETREX acquired SOLS, a company specialising in mobile-device foot-scanning applications. It also introduced the Albert Control Panel, allowing retail partners to work with data generated through AETREX’s scanning systems.

2020s: Albert and AI

AETREX’s technology became increasingly sophisticated with the development of the Albert family of scanners. Albert systems can capture measurements such as:

• Foot length
• Width
• Girth
• Instep height
• Arch characteristics
• Pressure distribution
• Alignment/pronation-related information

The resulting data can then be used for footwear and orthotic recommendations.

AETREX’s Albert 2 Pro received a CES 2022 Innovation Award Honoree designation, while Albert 3DFit and the company’s Foot.com data platform were CES 2023 Innovation Award Honorees.

AETREX essentially operates across three interconnected businesses:

① Footwear

AETREX designs and sells comfort-oriented footwear for men and women. Its range includes categories such as:

• Walking shoes
• Sneakers
• Sandals
• Wedges
• Loafers
• Casual shoes
• Athletic/performance-oriented footwear
• Shoes designed around particular foot-health needs

The design philosophy centres on combining fashion with orthotic support and comfort rather than treating supportive footwear as purely medical-looking footwear. 4

② Orthotics

Orthotics remain one of AETREX’s core businesses. The company produces over-the-counter insoles designed for different:

• Arch types
• Activities
• Shoe types
• Levels of cushioning
• Metatarsal-support requirements
• Pronation characteristics

Its current portfolio includes lines such as Compete, Active, Speed, Train, Memory Foam, Dress, Casual, Cleats and Thinsoles.

③ Foot-Scanning Technology

This is arguably AETREX’s most unusual business. AETREX sells or deploys scanning technology to footwear retailers and industry partners, allowing stores to analyse customers’ feet and use that information to improve fitting and product recommendations.

Its technology portfolio includes the Albert 3DFit, Albert Pro/2 Pro systems, Albert Pressure, and related software platforms. 5

So AETREX is simultaneously:

a footwear brand + an orthotics company + a foot-data/retail-technology company.

That combination distinguishes it from most traditional shoe brands.

The Albert® platform is arguably the technological centrepiece of modern AETREX.

A conventional shoe purchase generally starts with a relatively simple measurement such as “US 9” or “EU 42.” AETREX’s philosophy is that shoe size alone does not describe the shape or behaviour of a person’s foot sufficiently. Its scanners can collect substantially more information.

For example, an AETREX scan can identify characteristics such as:

Length → Width → Girth → Arch → Instep → Pressure → Alignment

The resulting information can be used to recommend an appropriate shoe or orthotic.

AETREX says its scanners have now been deployed in 12,000+ locations across 63 countries, with its database containing more than 50 million unique foot scans.

That creates a potentially powerful feedback loop:

Scan feet → collect data → understand fit → design products → recommend products → collect more data

This is one of the most important aspects of AETREX’s business model.

AETREX has increasingly incorporated artificial intelligence, computer vision, and machine learning into its scanning systems.

For example, the Albert 2 Pro combines foot scanning with technologies including computer vision, machine learning, and cloud-based analytics.

The later Albert 3DFit system uses multiple depth cameras to create a three-dimensional model of the foot. AETREX has described it as capable of capturing measurements such as length, width, and girth and converting the information into a 3D representation.

AETREX’s newer technology ecosystem also includes FitAI, which is designed to help match shoppers with appropriately fitting footwear. In 2026, AETREX reported that its FitAI technology had been used by more than 2 million shoppers across 500+ global retail locations.

AETREX doesn’t only use scanning as a retail sales tool. The company also says it uses its accumulated 3D foot data when developing footwear.

AETREX has millions of 3D scans in its database, and this information is used to develop the three-dimensional forms—or lasts—around which shoes are constructed.

In simplified terms:

Traditional footwear development

Designer → last → shoe → consumer feedback

AETREX’s data-driven approach

Millions of feet → data analysis → last development → footwear → scanning/consumer data → further refinement

This makes AETREX closer to a foot-data company with a footwear business than a conventional shoe label.

One of AETREX’s defining product technologies is its Signature Arch Support.

The company incorporates arch-support structures into its footwear and orthotics with the goal of supporting the arch and improving foot alignment. AETREX says this design is intended to help reduce excessive pronation and support the body’s alignment through the gait cycle.

The exact construction varies by product, but the underlying philosophy is consistent:

Support the foot → improve alignment → distribute pressure → increase comfort.

AETREX therefore positions itself somewhere between conventional comfort footwear and more specialised orthotic/pedorthic footwear.

AETREX footwear has historically emphasised several comfort technologies. These include:

Memory Foam

Many AETREX shoes incorporate cushioning intended to conform to the foot and improve underfoot comfort. 6

Antimicrobial Treatments

AETREX has used antimicrobial technologies in its footwear and orthotics, intended to help control the growth of bacteria and fungi and reduce odour.

Pressure Management

The company’s scanning technology can identify pressure points, and AETREX says this information helps inform the design of its footbeds and removable insoles.

3D-Printed Orthotics

AETREX has also developed a system in which foot-scan information can be used to create 3D-printed custom orthotics.

AETREX’s orthotic range is unusually broad for a footwear brand. Rather than offering one generic insole, it categorises products according to variables such as arch type, metatarsal support, cushioning, activity, and footwear type. 7

For example, its product coding differentiates between:

• Neutral/cupped designs
• Posted designs for lower/flat arches
• Supported designs with metatarsal support
• Specialised athletic orthotics
• Dress-shoe orthotics
• Thin orthotics for shoes with limited internal volume

This is consistent with the company’s historical identity as an orthotics manufacturer.

AETREX positions itself around foot health rather than fashion alone. Its current product and educational material focuses on issues including:

• Plantar fasciitis
• Heel pain
• Arch pain
• Bunions
• Metatarsalgia
• High arches
• Flat feet
• Overpronation
• Ball-of-foot discomfort
• Prolonged standing and foot fatigue

An important distinction is that AETREX is a commercial footwear and orthotics company, not a medical practice. Individual products should therefore be evaluated according to their specific indications and, where appropriate, with a podiatrist or other qualified clinician.

AETREX has also emphasised recognition from the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA).

According to AETREX, its footwear and orthotics are submitted to APMA for review, and products that receive acceptance do so individually rather than automatically because they belong to the AETREX brand. The company says its current collection includes products carrying the APMA Seal of Acceptance.

This is significant to the brand’s positioning because it gives AETREX a stronger connection to the professional foot-health market than many mainstream comfort-shoe companies.

Another interesting part of the AETREX ecosystem is Foot.com.

AETREX created Foot.com in 2000 as a foot-health information resource. Today, the company also describes Foot.com as a 3D foot-data platform that aggregates and organises data obtained from its scanning technology for footwear developers and designers.

In other words, AETREX has built an ecosystem that extends beyond selling shoes:

Consumer → Foot scan → Data → Foot.com/AETREX database → Product development → Retail recommendation

This data-centric model is a major component of AETREX’s differentiation.

AETREX has a somewhat unusual business model because it operates on both the consumer and business-to-business sides.

Consumer-Facing

AETREX sells:

• Footwear
• Orthotics
• Sandals
• Comfort products
• Foot-health products

through its own online store and retail distribution.

Business-Facing

AETREX provides:

• Foot scanners
• Scanning software
• AI fitting/recommendation technology
• Foot-data services
• Retail fitting solutions
• Technology for footwear development

to retailers and industry partners.

This gives the company a hybrid identity:

B2C footwear/orthotics brand + B2B footwear technology company.

AETREX technology has been deployed through footwear retailers internationally. The company has reported partnerships involving retailers and footwear-industry companies, while its technology is used to facilitate fitting and personalised product recommendations.

Its broader brand ecosystem has also included relationships with footwear companies such as New Balance, Red Wing, Merrell and Rockport, according to AETREX’s historical company materials. 8

The important point is that AETREX does not necessarily compete with every company that uses its technology. In some cases, its technology can function as an infrastructure layer for the wider footwear industry.

AETREX is headquartered in Teaneck, New Jersey, near New York City.

The company has also reported international operations/facilities in Israel and China, while its products and technology are distributed globally. 9

Its technology page currently reports deployment in 63 countries, demonstrating that the company’s technology business has a considerably broader geographic footprint than its own branded footwear alone might suggest.

The easiest way to understand AETREX’s positioning is to put it on a spectrum:

Traditional orthopedic footwear

← medical / functional / specialised

AETREX

← foot-health + technology + comfort + lifestyle

→ fashion / lifestyle / performance

AETREX tries to bridge the gap between orthopedic functionality and contemporary footwear design.

Its central brand proposition is essentially:

Footwear should be designed around the actual human foot rather than treating the foot as an afterthought.

That philosophy explains why the company invests heavily in scanning technology, orthotics, and biomechanics.

There are several things that make AETREX unusual.

1. It Started with Orthotics

AETREX did not begin as a fashion footwear brand and later add “comfort technology.” Its historical foundation is arch supports and orthotics. 10

2. It Owns the Scanning Technology

Rather than simply using third-party sizing systems, AETREX has developed its own hardware and software ecosystem.

3. It Has a Huge Foot-Data Set

The company says its scanners have generated 50+ million unique foot scans, providing a substantial dataset for its technology and product-development activities.

4. It Connects Scanning to Product Development

The scanning technology isn’t merely a sales gimmick. AETREX says its data informs footwear lasts, footbeds, and fit development.

5. It Combines B2B and B2C

Most footwear brands primarily sell shoes. AETREX also sells the technology that helps other companies sell and fit shoes.

1946 — Paul and Charles Schwartz establish Apex, beginning with arch supports and orthotic products.

1999 — AETREX creates the Foot Health Network.

2000 — Foot.com is established.

2002 — AETREX introduces iStep and begins bringing digital foot scanning into consumer retail. 11

2018 — AETREX acquires SOLS, strengthening its mobile foot-scanning capabilities.

2020–2021 — Albert 2 represents a new generation of integrated 3D foot-scanning technology.

2022 — Albert 2 Pro receives a CES Innovation Award Honoree designation. 12

2023 — Albert 3DFit and Foot.com receive CES Innovation Award Honoree recognition. 13

2026 — AETREX reports more than 12,000 scanners, 50 million+ foot scans, and continued expansion of its AI-powered fitting technology. 14

As of 2026, AETREX is best understood not simply as a shoe company but as a foot-health technology platform with a consumer footwear and orthotics brand attached to it.

Its ecosystem can be summarised as:

Feet

↓

3D scanning + pressure measurement

↓

Foot data

↓

AI / computer vision / analytics

↓

Personalised recommendations

↓

Orthotics + footwear

↓

More foot data

That creates a vertically integrated approach to footwear fitting and foot health.

The company says its technology has now accumulated data from more than 50 million unique foot scans, while its consumer business continues to sell footwear and orthotics designed around that knowledge.

1. About Aetrex: Our Story & Foot Health Mission | Aetrex – aetrex
2. Our Story – Aetrex Middle East
3. Aetrex Albert 3DFit and Foot.com Named CES 2023 Innovation Award Honoree
4. Aetrex | Foot Scanning Technology, Comfort Shoes & Arch Support – aetrex
5. CES 2022: Aetrex – News Releases
6. CES 2022: Aetrex
7. AETREX COMPANY LTD, IP1 1RJ : Companies House Number 16694317
8. Aetrex Shoes Review 2025: A Fashion Expert‘s Deep Dive into Style Meets Comfort – History Tools
9. Aetrex, Inc. Trademarks Page 1 :: Justia Trademarks
10. DaleBoot Partners With Aetrex to Offer Custom Ski Boots Based on 3D Foot Scans
11. CES 2022 INNOVATION AWARD HONOREE AETREX TO SHOWCASE ITS ALBERT 2 PRO FOOT SCANNER AT THIS YEAR’S SHOW
12. Weekly Feature: Aetrex – Foot Foundation
13. Apex: a division of Aetrex Worldwide, expands with two new footwear lines | Lower Extremity Review Magazine
14. AETREX Trademark of AETREX WORLDWIDE, INC. – Registration Number 2953620 – Serial Number 78299622 :: Justia Trademarks