Source: These connected shoes could help you run faster, smarter and more safely
At CES2017 this year the bigger brands jumped in a puddle that Nike dried off from three years ago.
A few years ago Nike+ had the bright idea to incorporate tech into their basketball line. In 2012 Nike laced LeBron James up with the Nike Hyperdunk+.
The shoe was an outrageous 250.00 (Which is actually the norm now). The box was gigantic and the shoe felt more like a marketing ploy (what Nike shoe isn’t?) than anything else. The shoe eventually ended up at outlets for 89.99. Nike made the Nike Watch and then other wearable tech, but Nike in 2016 finally came to the realization that wearable tech was best left to the brand that is crushing the market, Apple. They joined forces with Apple and dropped the Nike+Apple Watch.
From what I gather no one has paid any attention to this since almost every brand has dropped a version of wearable tech this year at CES. New Balance dropped RunIQ and Under Armour hit us with technical pajamas and Record.
Vivobarefoot, a lesser known running company that provides minimalist running shoes also entered the water with a shoe that leaves a lot to be desired aesthetically.
What I don’t get is if businesses paid attention to the market, it’s not the smartest thing to do right now entering the wearable tech market. Why do you think everyone is entering these waters? What makes people think they are going to dump their phone apps for footwear tech and wearables if FitBit is struggling to retain their marketshare? Check out the source link for more details and let me know what you think about this trend.
