Should you be wearing smart shoes? How they work, will they become the norm, the advantages and why you’ll probably be wearing them in the future.
We thought the things portrayed in the movie “Back to the Future” were far-fetched; smart homes, smart sports stadiums, smart luggage, and whatever. However, with the pace at which technology is moving, this might not be so anymore. For instance, where you need to be physically present to play games at the casino, you just need to check out the best Australian casino from the comfort of your home. The technology of wearables has gotten even better with smart shoes. It is not your regular “black tie” workplace shoes, but the type integrated with high-end tech features.
Smart shoes are technologically advanced wearables that gather biometric data, allow users to evaluate this data via apps, and give ideas on how to live a better life to the wearer. Nike HyperAdapt, Xiaomi Mijia, and Under Armour Connected sneakers are among the smart shoe series. Notably, smart shoe development is not limited to the world’s largest shoe brands; a sizable number of startups are also involved in the process.
What Exactly Are Smart Shoes?
Smart shoes are like any other type of shoe you’d see in a store, but they have plenty of amazing features. Smart sneakers, for example, may be used to measure your activity levels. These shoes can track how active you are by measuring how many steps you take, your pace, how many calories you burn, and other factors using a few tiny gadgets. In addition, these sneakers can even display your whereabouts using geolocation technology such as GPS.
A lot goes into making a smart sneaker capable of such in-depth monitoring. The presence of a pressure sensor to determine if they are on or your current weight is a nice example of it. These pressure sensors are even being used to develop self-tying shoes that automatically tie themselves once your foot is recognized.
Smart shoes can also be outfitted with environmental sensors that monitor your surroundings. These sensors can detect light, sound, and altitude, among other things. They also include an inbuilt sensor that checks the battery life of the shoe. Smart shoes operate on a battery, and you must charge them to keep them functioning. On the other hand, the batteries are powerful and may last up to two weeks on a single charge, so they’re less inconvenient. Furthermore, some smart shoes offer other exciting features, such as LED lights on the soles that you can improve the appearance lightly.
Smart sneakers connect to your phone through Bluetooth to display your health statistics. It provides a summary of your daily, weekly, or monthly information. Overall, these shoes can do a lot, and it does provide some useful benefits to users.
How Does This Tech Work?
Now that you know what smart shoes are, the next question is “how do they work?” A gyroscope, ambient environmental sensors, an accelerometer, a magnetometer, and air pressure sensors are just a few of the sensors integrated into Smart Shoes. The main purpose of these sensors is to provide the wearer with a complete assessment of the following:
- Frequency of steps;
- The interval between each step;
- The duration of the steps;
- Сalories you have burnt;
- Level of calories left;
- The temperature in the shoes;
- Detection of pressure points in the feet;
- Status of your fatigue;
- Your location on the map;
- Your pace;
- Your stride;
- Correct posture;
- Your weight.
The list goes on and on, as do the advantages. A smart shoe integrates all of the sensors, storage, and transmission systems into one device, allowing you to view a full analysis on your smartphone. It is revolutionary in the sense that it is only the first step. Although the smart shoes on the market presently are only the first generation of the device, they have a lot more good reasons to support them. Integrating more advanced versions of these smart gadgets would produce noticeable improvements, thus giving the users immense benefits.
As for now, smart-shoes work in the way discussed below:
- An accelerometer, gyroscope, and magnetometer are integrated with internal magnetic measurement devices. These devices are responsible for evaluating activities, including step patterns and posture.
- Your steps are tracked using the Global Positioning System (GPS). It also keeps track of motions and measures distances.
- There are pressure sensors specifically designed to determine whether your body weight is evenly distributed.
- The air pressure sensors will describe the shoes’ environment. This contains data on the level of weariness as well as the temperature inside.
- Other sensors will inform you of the battery percentage and me.
Will Smart Shoes Be the Norm?
While several smaller businesses, such as Cloudnova and Digitsole, sell various smart shoes, smart shoes are still an unpopular technology. As a result, it’s difficult to predict if smart shoes will catch on and become popular. Right now, smart shoes aren’t exactly commonplace, and many people have no idea what they are. Furthermore, given the potential expense of these shoes, not everyone will be able to afford such a luxury.
Interestingly, you can track many things tracked by smart sneakers using free applications or considerably less expensive devices such as pedometer watches. Unfortunately, smart shoes may be rendered obsolete as a result of this.
Nobody knows what will happen next in the world of fashion and technology now that smart rings and smart belts are on the market. Given how handy, not to mention stylish, smart shoes appear to be, they may become popular accessories in the nearest future. However, many would rather stick to their pair of sneakers for now.
What Does the Future Hold For Smart Shoes?
Shortly, smart shoe development will include a haptic feedback system with sensors that detect impediments in all directions and provide haptic feedback to the user. If you’re going on a walk and don’t want to be distracted by your phone, these shoes will come in useful. For example, if you need to turn right, your right foot vibrates to alert you, and the same is true for the left foot. It can detect impediments ahead of time or in several directions for visually impaired people and alert them. It’ll be a game-changer.
Smart shoes are just in phase one. Shortly, they all will be superbly impressive, serving a lot of purpose in our daily lives. In addition, you can track your loved one or your kids who are wearing these shoes with the help of GPS. There are many intelligent things smart shoes can do; it is just a matter of time.
Conclusion
Smart shoes are a stylish and comfortable innovation. This article introduced the concept of smart shoes, how they work, if they will be the norm and their place in the future amongst other wearable tech. What’s more – they also come in a variety of prices. It means that anyone can own smart shoes. For instance, Nike’s smart shoes cost around $350, and this provides an auto-lacing and LED light strip, while a Xiaomi Mijia costs less than $3000 with more advanced features. Smart shoes are the future of walking and running!
