REVIEW: Smart Shoes - smart sneakers from Xiaomi and Li-Ning

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Should you buy smart sneakers from a well-known Chinese sports shoe manufacturer that does not need an introduction from Xiaomi? We understand this review.

I don't run, but I find running shoes a very convenient option for active movement. When planning to buy shoes, I first looked towards the original Nike and Adidas products, but then the thought flashed: maybe try something from Li-Ning?

For reference: Li-Ning is one of the largest Chinese companies producing sports shoes for the domestic market, which is known to be famous for its high quality. It is this company that creates shoes for the Chinese Olympic teams. On her account there is a joint development with Xiaomi - smart sneakers Smart Shoes.

This model is available in two versions: closed and open (part of the sneaker is covered with a mesh). The first one costs about, the second - about. For good sneakers, this is not money. Due to the specifics of my work in wet and cold weather, I immediately switch to massive army shoes (getting my feet wet is not scary, but catching titanium shavings in a puddle is not pleasant enough). Therefore, my choice fell on the lightweight Smart Shoes. Today we will talk about them.

Appearance and equipment

The sneaker comes in a recycled cardboard box. The packaging is simple, like any shoe in the budget segment. However, the appearance, materials and workmanship do not allow attributing this Li-Ning product to the budget category. The sneakers are fully synthetic, but quite solid. They don't smell.

The sole is made of special foam. It is cast at the factory and has a monolithic structure. The protector allows you not to slip even on wet tiles.

In the toe area - mesh material. Everything is pretty solid - even an active runner is enough for a couple of seasons. In addition, the feet are very comfortable in sneakers. The foam sole has good springiness and allows you not to feel small irregularities in the surface. The mesh helps the legs breathe.

In addition to the shoes themselves, there is another box in the package. It hides the clever component of the sneaker. This small plastic part with a QR code and a logo contains a chip and a Bluetooth 4.0 module for communication with devices running Android 4.0 and higher, as well as iOS 7 and higher. There is also a battery, which, according to the manufacturer, will last for one year of use or 800 kilometers.

How smart sneakers work

Pretty simple. We take the right shoe, take out the insole - there you can find a small recess in which the chip is placed. And then you need to configure the connection between the chip and the smartphone.

To do this, you need to install the Mi Fit application, but of a certain version, preferably older than 1.5, but younger than 2.0. The language does not matter: both in the translated and in the original version of the application for Mi Band, a bundle of all three devices is assumed - a bracelet, Xiaomi Mi Smart Scale and Li-Ning Smart Shoes. Unfortunately, the official application from Google Play works in Russia at the moment only with a bracelet, therefore, to use Smart Shoes, you will need to download a Russified version of the application from a well-known resource.

Now all that remains is to turn on Bluetooth and synchronize the chip with the smartphone by scanning the barcode shown on it via Mi Fit. Then we place the chip with the logo up in a special groove in the sole of the right sneaker, put on the shoes and calibrate. To do this, you need to stand still for five minutes.

Sneakers Smart Shoes can measure the number and frequency of steps, distance traveled, speed and calories burned. For accurate calculations, when you first start the application, you need to enter your biometric data: height, weight, gender, age. Also, first you need to indicate your goal, for example, go through a certain number of steps per day, lose weight or gain weight to a specific mark.

When you put on your sneakers, they immediately start tracking your activity. The data is transmitted to the application, which remembers how many steps were taken, what distance and how it was covered, taking into account the type of activity (running or walking). Synchronization can be carried out at any convenient time, the chip in the sneaker stores all the necessary information as long as needed.

By the way, running can be activated deliberately (useful for those who walk fast enough - in my case, an indispensable function). When you press the corresponding button, the application launches GPS on the smartphone and starts calculating the trajectory, distance, speed and cadence. If the norm is exceeded, a voice trainer is activated, however, in Chinese. You can pause if necessary.

With GPS turned off in normal mode, the measurement error is about 5%, as in the popular Xiaomi fitness tracker.

Output

Smart Shoes is a good purchase even for those who do not like running and do not see any benefit in such gadgets. Quality shoes for $ 50 are not that common. And if you add to this its motivating functions, you get a pleasant purchase by the summer. By the way, there are options, as well as many colors.

If you are thinking about purchasing smart shoes, then inexpensive Smart Shoes sneakers from Li-Ning and Xiaomi will allow you to decide if you need it specifically for you. And I will continue to wear them and order a couple more for next season.