The Volumental 3D foot scanner at FootZone in Bend on Thursday.

It is not uncommon for one foot to be ever so slightly bigger than the other. Or for a person to put slightly more weight on the outside of their feet than the inside.

For runners and other athletes, proper shoe fit is crucial.

A couple of weeks ago, FootZone, a shoe store in downtown Bend, acquired a 3D foot scanner to make finding the proper foot measurements simpler.

Getting your feet scanned is roughly a five-minute process. Without shoes, a person steps on what resembles a fancy bathroom scale, which measures the foot size and the height of the foot’s arch.

Then a quick couple steps over another scale shows which part of the foot is receiving the most pressure when walking.

All the foot data is then viewable on an iPad almost instantly.

The information gathered from the scanner, paired with whichever activity or sport a person is playing, helps find the right shoe, fit and insoles. For example, soccer shoes and cleats are generally tight fitting, while distance-running shoes have more room at the toes.

“It is important for us to see how people’s feet are moving so we can pair them with the correct shoe,” said Mark Stockamp, marketing manager at FootZone. “The ultimate goal is to help everyone who comes through the door stay injury-free. With the 3D foot scanner, we are able to accomplish that.”

FootZone is the only retail store in Bend with a 3D foot scanner that customers are able to use free of charge, according to Stockamp.

Friday through Wednesday, the store will be holding “FootZone’s Student-Athlete Days,” which includes a 10% discount and personalized shoe fittings for student-athletes in Central Oregon. The offer is open to athletes in all sports, not just track and field and cross-country.

“It has been a weird year with all the high school sports being canceled, so we wanted to open it to all student-athletes, giving them a discount and encouraging them to be outside,” Stockamp said, “because it has been easy with sports being canceled to sit at home all day.”