Xiaomi's new 'smart shoes' come with military grade sensors

Along with launching its new Mi products that include a Mi TV and a Mi water purifier, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has also added smart shoes to its line of offerings.

In collaboration with Chinese sportswear firm Li-Ning, Xiaomi’s subsidiary, Huami Technology, has unveiled a pair of trainers, the Li-Ning smart shoes, that come fitted with technology to measure users’ running performance.

The shoes include a module with sensors placed under the sole and can track data to show the distance covered, number of steps taken, calories burnt and other health-related information.

This data is then sent to Xiaomi’s Mi Fit app via Bluetooth so that runners can analyse and share their performance on social media.

The company has claimed that the military-grade sensors will not fail for at least 12 months.

The shoes will be available in two designs for 199 yuan (USD 32) and 399 yuan. The higher priced variant will go on sale in China on Monday, while the cheaper version will be released a week later.

It will be sold only at Li-Ning stores and not on Xiaomi’s website It was unclear whether there are plans to sell them in foreign markets.