Modern feet, for various reasons, take the worst daily beatings in the history of feet, so it’s only natural that the power of the Internet of Things, thanks to Sensoria and VIVOBAREFOOT, would eventually be leveraged to aid aching feet. Sensoria, as their name suggests, is a maker of sensors. Specifically, they make biometric sensors of all shapes and sizes. VIVOBAREFOOT, on the other hand, make “barefoot shoes”; special shoes that emulate walking barefoot in order to promote optimal foot health, while providing a tough and sanitary cover for walking about, without all of the pitfalls of traditional shoes. Together, they’ve brought a smart shoe to CES that maps out and senses every minute detail of foot movement, from pressure to toe engagement. The whole thing, of course, is internet-connected. While this isn’t the first such smart shoe, it’s the first one to use a “barefoot shoe” as a base.
In order to bring the full power of the Internet of Things to foot health, VIVOBAREFOOT and Sensoria have created a special version of VIVOBAREFOOT’s popular Primus shoe, their most lightweight model, outfitted with tons of sensors throughout and a special spot on the back where a small cube can be placed, rife with computing power. More importantly, the show will be able to connect to the cloud via a connected smartphone and Sensoria’s purpose-built app. The cube leverages Sensoria’s Sensoria Core technology to act as a central hub for all of the various bits and bobs found within the shoe. The large array of sensors are built directly into the fabric and hard surfaces of the shoe, and are able to be washed along with the shoe, making maintenance a snap.
The app helps to interpret the wealth of data on things like cadence, foot impact technique, and speed. Over time, the app can even map out a user’s foot to figure out metrics like toe engagement and balance. From there, it can use that data to teach a user how to adjust their gait for maximum foot health and efficiency. For the time being, there is no information available as to a release date for the new smart shoe. The base Primus model is still available on VIVOBAREFOOT’s website, and they will be putting out an update when the new smart shoe is available.
