MWC 2016: Samsung-backed smart shoes to double as personal trainer

Samsung is set to unveil its latest smart product – IOFIT smart sneakers. The smart shoes will be launched at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), taking place in Barcelona, Spain from 22-25 February 2016.

IOFIT has been developed by Samsung's in-house startup Salted Venture. The smart-shoes have been specifically designed to provide data for fitness and golf athletes. The smart wearable also provides customisable tools and features to coaches and athletes for better training purposes.

Salted Venture CEO Jacob Cho said, "There's so much valuable information coming from our feet, and it's being wasted. So, we wanted to make use of this data and utilize it to provide value to people. That was the driving force behind IOFIT."

The IOFIT has inbuilt smart sensors in every shoe, which allows it to provide real-time data to athletes, like how much pressure or force is being used by an athlete at various parts of a foot. The data can help determine an athlete's balance, weight distribution, centre of gravity and ground contact force, during a user's workout regime, like squats, running or while playing golf.

Samsung's IOFIT comes equipped with an app, through which its real-time data can be displayed, either on a smartphone or a tablet. The app also has an inbuilt video-recording feature that can be directly synced to the data picked up via the smart shoes. This means that athletes can video-record themselves using the app, via a smartphone and sync the recording to the IOFIT's data to determine their performance levels.

Unlike other fitness wearables, Salted Venture says that it has strived to develop a product that is both "portable and cost-effective". The tech startup said that it has made use of data analysis technology like "accelerometers and pressure sensors", which have been embedded right into the soles of the smart shoes.

"Our goal is to empower people who love fitness and sports to train smarter and coach better," Cho added. "We want to see our products being used by inspiring athletes, coaches and individuals all over the world and to make their training and coaching experience the best it can be."