Scienceyou can feel.
We work with biomechanics researchers at the University of Salford to understand how people stand, move and load their feet through the working day, then turn that insight into footwear designed for the people who spend all day in it.
The problem with ordinary work footwear
People stand, walk, shift weight and move differently through long working days. Comfort and support are not simply properties of a shoe in isolation; they depend on the wearer, the task and the environment.
That is why conventional work footwear can only take a one-size-fits-all approach so far. People differ in how they move, where pressure builds, what feels comfortable and what support they prefer. Understanding those differences is the starting point for designing better footwear.
working days lost to work-related musculoskeletal disorders in Great Britain in 2024/25.
Source: HSE, Work-related musculoskeletal disorders statistics in Great Britain, 2025.average working days lost per lower-limb work-related MSD case in 2024/25. Lower-limb MSDs accounted for 25% of all working days lost due to work-related MSDs.
Source: HSE, Work-related musculoskeletal disorders statistics in Great Britain, 2025.workers in standing-intensive occupations experiencing foot pain or discomfort, based on research synthesised in a 2023 scoping review.
Source: Bernardes et al., Foot and Ankle Disorders in Nurses Exposed to Prolonged Standing Environments: A Scoping Review, 2023.Understanding the working body
To design footwear for people who spend all day on their feet, we need to understand what their bodies are actually doing.
Our work with biomechanics researchers at the University of Salford looks beyond the shoe itself, combining objective measurement with wearer feedback to understand how people move, where forces and pressure build, and how different footwear designs change the experience of standing and moving through a working day.
Movement
How people stand, shift their weight, shuffle and walk through different working tasks.
Muscle activity
How muscles respond as people stand and move, helping researchers understand the physical demands placed on the body.
Ground reaction forces
The forces created between the body and the ground, and how they change as someone moves.
Plantar pressure
Where pressure is distributed underneath the foot, and how different footwear and insole configurations can change that distribution.
Comfort
How the wearer actually experiences the footwear, because objective measurements only tell part of the story.
Foot shape, size and structure
The individual differences that influence how footwear fits, supports and feels from one wearer to another.
Research that changes what we make
Our relationship with the University of Salford goes beyond testing finished products. We work with biomechanics specialists to investigate the challenges faced by people who spend long periods standing and moving at work, then use what we learn to inform how WearerTech footwear is designed.
The partnership has included a Knowledge Transfer Partnership hosted by the University of Salford and funded by Innovate UK and WearerTech. It brings academic research expertise into the product-development process, allowing real questions about movement, pressure, support and comfort to be investigated objectively.
Measure what happens. Listen to the wearer.
Biomechanics gives us ways to measure what is happening beneath the surface. We can look at how pressure is distributed under the foot, how forces change as people move and how different product configurations affect the body.
But measurement is only part of the picture. We also need to understand what the wearer actually experiences.
That combination matters because the answer that looks obvious on paper is not always the one that feels right to the person wearing the shoe.
In our work on CustomPro, participants tried low, medium and high support profiles while researchers measured plantar pressure and asked them to rate each option for comfort.
Only 36% of participants preferred the support profile that matched their self-identified foot shape.
The research showed that people need to experience different levels of support for themselves. That insight helped shape a modular system that lets the wearer choose what feels right for their feet.
It is a good example of how we believe product development should work: start with the wearer, measure what is happening, test the assumptions and let the evidence influence what you make.
From research to something you can feel
The science matters because it changes the experience of wearing the shoe.
WearerTech takes what we learn about movement, pressure, comfort and the realities of the working day and turns it into practical product technologies designed around the wearer.
CustomPro
Support that adapts to the wearer.Different people prefer different levels of support. CustomPro uses interchangeable modular inserts to let each wearer try different configurations and choose the one that feels right for their feet.
Explore CustomPro
UltraGrip
Grip engineered for the working world.UltraGrip combines tread design, material performance and testing to help deliver dependable grip in demanding working environments.
Explore UltraGripDifferent problems. The same principle: understand what happens in the real world, then engineer the footwear around it.
Proof in the real world
The science only matters if it makes a difference when people actually go to work.
Across healthcare, facilities management and other demanding working environments, WearerTech footwear is delivering measurable improvements in safety, comfort and workforce outcomes.
Lower share of accidents from slips and trips
At UCL, the proportion of reported accidents attributed to slips, trips and falls fell from 50% to 20% over four years.
More comfortable
said WearerTech footwear was more comfortable and supportive during the Andron Middleton Grange trial.
Reduction
in lost days related to musculoskeletal injuries at Wythenshawe Hospital.