193 chapter nine Shoe confgurators A comparative analysis of capabilities and benefts Enrico Sandrin, Cipriano Forza, Zoran Anisic, Nikola Suzic, Chiara Grosso, Thomas Aichner, and Alessio Trentin Contents 9.1 Introduction ........................................................................................... 194 9.2 Product confgurator capabilities ....................................................... 195 9.2.1 User-friendly product space description capability ............ 196 9.2.2 Focused navigation capability ................................................ 196 9.2.3 Flexible navigation capability ................................................. 197 9.2.4 Beneft–cost communication capability ................................. 197 9.2.5 Easy comparison capability..................................................... 198 9.3 Consumer-perceived benefts.............................................................. 199 9.3.1 Utilitarian beneft ...................................................................... 199 9.3.2 Uniqueness beneft.................................................................... 199 9.3.3 Self-expressiveness beneft ...................................................... 200 9.3.4 Creative achievement beneft .................................................. 200 9.3.5 Hedonic beneft ......................................................................... 201 9.4 Method ................................................................................................... 201 9.5 Benchmarking: Capabilities ................................................................ 202 9.6 Benchmarking: Benefts ....................................................................... 203 9.7 Best practices from shoe confgurators .............................................. 205 9.7.1 User-friendly product space description capability ............ 205 9.7.1.1 Shoes of Prey............................................................... 205 9.7.1.2 Adidas .......................................................................... 205 9.7.2 Focused navigation capability ................................................ 206 9.7.2.1 Shoes of Prey............................................................... 206 9.7.2.2 Reebok ......................................................................... 207 9.7.3 Flexible navigation capability ................................................. 207 9.7.3.1 Shoes of Prey............................................................... 207 9.7.3.2 Adidas .......................................................................... 207