Xiaomi seems to be bent on making sure all the products you own are completely connected by announcing the arrival of the Li-Ning Smart Shoe in China on Wednesday. The footwear will officially start selling from July 20, with no announcement on whether it will be available in India.
The Li-Ning Smart Shoe will come in two versions, one priced at 199 Yuan (approx Rs 2000), and the other at 399 Yuan (approx Rs 4000). A module placed discreetly under the sole contains military-grade motion sensors manufactured by Xiaomi. They record and deliver information such as calories and number of steps walked through Bluetooth chips that connect with paired smartphones.
The sensors in the shoe are supposed to last for a year, according to a report in GizmoChina. The footwear is said to be sweat-free and waterproof and can obviously withstand pressure while running. If you’re wondering why the shoes don’t have the Xiaomi brand name attached, it’s because Li-Ning is a pretty famous Chinese company that makes shoes and sports equipment for various teams and athletes.
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The Smart Shoe will be competing with other established products such as the clip-on Adidas miCoach Speed Cell and the Nike+ line of footwear. High-tech sports equipment has been gaining a steady following over the years and Xiaomi is entering the market now to provide affordable options for fitness enthusiasts.
It’s not the first time Xiaomi is going beyond phones. The Chinese company had previously released various products such as a streaming dongle, an air purifier, a television and a camera. Their health-focused Mi Band was a great success in India. So it would make sense for them to release the Li-Ning Smart Shoe here as well.