Smart Shoes, Smarter Watch.

In the article “Smart Running Shoes: Will They Change The Way You Run”, Lin (2017) comment that the advancement of smart technology in running shoes, can enhance user’s performance. In 2012, popular sport brands such as UnderArmour (UA) released their UA Speedform Gemini 2 smart shoes which display data such as muscle exhaustion, “cadence and pace” and monitor the “shoe’s mileage” through mobile apps like MapMyRun. In 2017, Altra smart shoes advanced by not only making their footwear stylish but also including sensors that will detect irregular foot patterns and warn the user through their “built-in” sole voice assistant. In return, preventing runners from accumulative injuries. It also observes breathability and feathery features of the shoe taking into account the technology it has. While smart running shoes evolved to such features, smart watches already had them.

In the runner’s community, there is an excessive smart watch user, due to its abilities which outweigh smart running shoes. Smart watch does wonders despite being able to correct running techniques. According to Abrar (2020), smart watches are able to capture the user’s metrics, monitor their health and also register human activities. This shows that smart watches do possess most of smart running shoes function except for the ability to provide feedback on foot statistics. Thus, using a smart watch would be feasible as compared to smart running shoes.

For starters, smart watch is capable of registering the number of footprints, calibrate speed and the wearer’s pace via a 3-axis accelerometer onboard the watch which then compute to attain the estimated number of calories burnt. It can also display the distance travelled through GPS data obtained either from an inbuilt sensor or from a connected smart phone depending on models.

Smart watch can also detect heartrate through a process called “photoplethysmography” in summary an in-built receiver which detect the deflection of the green LED light emitted. Which in turn provides an input to the smart watch to register the current activity.

Research shows that runners are prone to injuries when running methods are changed severely (Creveling,2019). Most smart running shoes available in the market only cater to a specific running technique embedded within itself. Therefore, changing into those shoes would require the user to adjust instantly. However, with the use of a smart watch, user can plan for gradual changes in order to achieve a proper running technique via the calendar visible at the wrist.

In conclusion, a better choice for runners would be to pick smart watches due its functions which is a cut above smart running shoes technology. Furthermore, it does what a normal watch can do, telling day, date and time.

References

Abrar. (2020). 9 Huge Advantages of Having a SmartWatch. https://www.smartgeekwrist.com/advantages-of-smart-watch/

Creveling, M. (2019)https://www.runnersworld.com/training/a26869369/should-you-change-your-running-form/

Lin, N. (2017) Smart Running Shoes: Will they change The Way You Run? Retrieved and adapted from https://www.runsociety.com/opinions/smart-running-shoes-will-they-change-the-way-you-run/

Lashkari, C. (2019)https://www.news-medical.net/health/How-do-wearable-fitness-trackers-measure-steps.aspx

Apple. (2019) https://support.apple.com/en-sg/HT204666