A novel footbed created in partnership with Harley Street’s Marylebone Health Group (MHG) and intended to “benefit the wellbeing of the whole body, from head to toe” has been revealed by luxury footwear company Harrys London in the United Kingdom.
Graeme Fidler, the creative director of the brand, has worked with sports physiotherapists at the MHG over the past year and a half to develop the HLTSystem, a unique technological footbed unit that takes an anatomical approach to foot support. MHG began the trip by examining the ways in which the cyclical movement of human walking—which includes posture, rhythm, balance, and speed—interacts with the pressure points on the feet in order to develop a “blueprint for a feet-first approach to holistic wellbeing.”
The multifaceted HLTSystem footbed was subsequently created by applying MHG’s results to Harrys’ patented Technogel insole, a gel-filled capsule that provides impact alleviation and weight distribution. This was done by specialist sports design firm IIID. The HLTSystem footbed, which was created with an ergonomic and noticeably light air layer between layers of foam gel and Technogel, was more anatomically designed than orthopaedically.
The cutting-edge footbed is contained within a stylish shoe designed by Fidler and dubbed “Harley,” a reference to Harley Street, one of the most renowned medical centers in the world and the location where the HLTSystem footbed was evaluated and created. The “Harley,” which will go on sale in the spring of 2025, is modeled after the company’s best-selling “Downing” loafers. It has a contoured custom-designed Windsurf sole combined with an innovative Vibram sole unit created in-house to match the HLTSystem footbed and Technogel insoles.
