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March Madness Pizza Hut Technology

Pizza Hut shoes mark the latest in easy order innovation

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By Lisa Lacy, n/a

March 2, 2017 | 3 min read

Pizza-ordering shoes may have seemed like an impossible dream, but Pizza Hut, which says it serves and delivers more pizzas than any other pizza company in the world, is making this very concept a reality with its Pizza Hut Pie Tops. That’s right: these custom-designed basketball shoes can order pizza for delivery simply by pressing a button on the shoe’s tongue.

Pizza Hut's Pie Tops are the latest in wearables -- and easy ordering.

Pizza Hut's Pie Tops are the latest in wearables -- and easy ordering.

Pie Tops have a smart button inside the tongue, which connects to a user’s phone and the Pie Tops app via Bluetooth, allowing the user to instantly submit an order.

“While designed to be light and unobtrusive, the app performs several vital functions. For one, it allows users to select what pizza shows up with each button press. By default, the app is set for a large Supreme pizza, but users can choose from a list of popular specialty pizzas at any time,” Pizza Hut said in a release. “The app also performs some important checks to ensure there are no mistakes. For example, if a user presses the button while located outside the saved default address, the app will ask to confirm location.”

Users can also customize what kind of a press will trigger an order. And consumers concerned about accidentally ordering pizzas can set the shoes to respond to a double press or a press and hold instead, the brand added.

According to a Pizza Hut rep, the brand is “giving a bunch” of pairs to super fans and influencers now and “a handful of shoes will be available to consumers" later this month. He would not, however, disclose how consumers will be able to get their hands on these shoes, saying, "more to come as we draw closer to the Final Four."

This is all part of Pizza Hut’s sponsorship of the upcoming NCAA March Madness tournament, which is in part why the brand tapped former NBA star Grant Hill to showcase Pie Tops in action on and off the court.

It’s also the latest move as pizza brands attempt to make ordering as simple and easy as possible. Additional easy ordering options from Pizza Hut in particular include an app, mobile site, Facebook and Twitter messenger, Amazon Echo, Echo Dot, Amazon Tap and Fire TV.

March Madness Pizza Hut Technology

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