So the other day I was NIFT (the gym on IUPUI campus), working out on the elliptical. At the same time I was listening to my ipod and watching tv. I looked around me and saw so many people running or doing other cardio while listening to music and/or watching tv. At NIFS almost every piece of cardio equipment has it's on television screen on which you can choose your own channel from a list a cable channels. Anyway, as I'm looking around I think about our 503 class and our discussion on mediated experiences. We no longer just run on the treadmill, we have to have one or more types of media going on around us for this experience.
When I got home, I looked around on the Internet to see what new technologies are emerging with exercise equipment. I have a Wii Fit, and I think that is one of the directions that the exercise industry is taking that allows them to team up with the gaming industry. I also found a treadmill that has a game controller attached. This goes with a first person shooter type game in which you physically have to run around the levels and use the controller to steer and shoot in order to win.
Then, I found the topic that is the title of this post, the Smart Shoe. This running shoe from Adidas has a chip in it that measures the firmness of the ground and adjusts the level of cushion in the sole in order to provide the most comfort and support for the terrain. This sounds like a great idea. I used to love running outside, but I have a lot of trouble with my knees. This type of technology has the potential to make running less harmful and painful to the knees. So how can I buy some? After getting excited about this article, I realized that it was published back in 2004. I looked around but can't find anything about these Adidas shoes from a year other than 2004. I think smart shoes are a good idea and have a lot of possibilities for added features, especially GPS tracking to know precise mileage and time. Has anyone else heard of these types of smart shoes and have any actually been a success on the market?
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Nice. I think fitness is a good niche for smart gear. People love (and sometimes need) tools to help them be more efficient with their workouts.
ReplyDeleteCheck out the FitBit if you haven't seen it (fitbit.com). It's not a shoe, but the idea is similar. I actually heard about it because it won some design award or another (maybe ID magazine? I can't remember). The entire fitbit experience is supposed to be great.
Oh man, I got all excited about these shoes and then got to the end of your blog entry. Seriously, what happened to the shoes? It sounds like a really great idea.
ReplyDeleteI too, love the idea of smart shoes, so I bought a pair. Nike teamed up with Apple, last year (or maybe a little longer than that) to create a smart shoe insert that works with a remote device and your iPod, allowing you to: track your mileage, tell you how close you are to your goal, play your "power song" when you need an little extra umph, and keep you on target for a specific distance or time of your run. You can upload your post-workout info a website that keeps track of your workouts and tells you how you're doing with regard to your goal. What is doesn't do is adjust the shoe to the terrain. But, it's a great product. Here's the link. http://www.apple.com/ipod/nike/run.html
ReplyDeleteIt is funny that you mention the exercise industry. I just wrote a blog about "What does the future hold for fitness?" I had not really thought of running on a tread mill as a mediated experience, but you are totally right! I work out at Cardinal Fitness and they have TVs there you can watch while you are on the tread mill or the elliptical. I think the smart shoes thing is a great idea, but I would be leaning more towards the iPod idea. What I mean by that is I am all for making things more universal. I would have your shoes connect with your cell phone or in your everything device that you could take with you as I mentioned in one of my blogs I wrote. My question is about expense. How much would these shoes cost? Could a gym rent these shoes out to you to walk on the tread mill with? What happens when you forget your smart shoes? Why not develop boots that make your toes warm when winter time hits? Why not make shoes that cure Athlete's Foot or Arthritis? What about people who do not have feet and are disabled? Again I express my point that many technologies that come out forget about the minorities of people out there. How can we make things more universal so that the majority can use them? Someone told me once that right now people can go on Nike.com and you can literally design your own shoe. Could we have it where we could design our shoe and have fitness be a part of one of the choices?
ReplyDeleteKellie,
ReplyDeleteI'm looking at buying some new running shoes soon. I can't believe I hadn't heard of the Nike+ shoes. I usually get New Balance, not Nike, so that might be why. I'll look into them though. How are they holding up for comfort and support? The ipod stuff is awesome, but the safety of my knees is still my #1 priority!