While Xiaomi is primarily known as one of China’s most influential smartphone manufacturers, the company also conducts business in numerous other market segments through its various sub-brands. MiJia is one of them and in recent news the company is now crowdfunding a new pair of smart running shoes on the Mi Home webpage dubbed the ’90 Minutes Ultra Smart’. Xiaomi MiJia’s running shoes have a built-in Intel Curie chip able to crunch fitness data in real time and can detect a variety of activities including running, walking, and climbing.
The 90 Minutes Ultra Smart shoes by Xiaom’s MiJia have apparently been designed by the Shanghai International Science & Technology institute in order to meet the needs of professional athletes. The base is manufactured from a foam-like material and features an air cushion as well as an antibacterial removable insole, whereas the sole features arch support and an anti-skid design. Ergonomics aside, Xiaomi’s running shoes wear the ‘Ultra Smart’ badge thanks to the inclusion of an Intel Curie chip designed specifically for wearable devices. The Intel Curie is a low-power module of the size of a button, which was built around the 32-bit Intel Quark SE System-on-Chip (SoC). It features an x86 host CPU, Pattern Matching Engine, sensor hub, a 6-axis accelerometer and gyro, a Bluetooth Low Energy module, and a battery charging unit. Intel Curie features 384kB flash memory and 80kB SRAM memory, and is described by the manufacturer as the ideal module for always-on apps and fitness activities. Together with Intel Curie on-board, the 90 Minutes Ultra Smart shoes can differentiate between fitness activities and has an autonomy of up to 60 days on a single charge. Prospective buyers should also be pleased to learn that the new Xiaomi smart shoes come in a variety of color options, including surf blue and black for men, as well as black and pink for women. There’s also an additional blue special edition color options featuring reflective materials for higher visibility at night.
As previously mentioned, the 90 Minutes Ultra Smart running shoes have been announced through Xiaomi’s crowdfunding campaign, and the good news is that the goal has already been met five times over with a total of 1,515,092 Chinese Yuan (around $219,260) raised by more than 5,000 pledgers. With that being said, Xiaomi’s new running shoes are priced at 299 Yuan ($43) and have an expected shipping date set for April 15.
