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SALT LAKE CITY — For every 100 hours of running, the average runner will sustain one injury. Novice runners are even more vulnerable than more seasoned athletes.
Local running company Altra wants to change that. Nestled among the trails of the Wasatch Mountains, the company recently released the first smart shoe on the market that coaches runners on their form and technique in real time.
The Altra Torin IQ includes not only the same unique characteristics as Altra’s original running shoe, but is the first smart shoe on the market that tracks specific metrics during a run and provides feedback to help the runner improve their technique during their workout.
“The Altra IQ has multiple sensors embedded from heel to forefoot and … they sense the foot hitting the ground and where and how heavy and how fast,” said Golden Harper, Altra’s co-founder. “Then with that, it takes the data and makes recommendations to your technique based on that information.”
The sensors in the shoe hit a Bluetooth transmitter which communicates to the Altra app connected with the shoe. The app records the data according to four different metrics that provide runners with more info about how they’re running.
The shoe will record, not only time, pace and distance, but also:
- Impact rate: how hard each foot is hitting the ground
- Contact time: how long each foot is in contact with the ground
- Cadence: how quickly the runner is taking steps or their “pulse” and
- Landing zone: the part of the runner’s feet that are making contact with the ground. The app will then take this data and give verbal tips to the runner on how to improve technique and form while running, usually about every mile. “It might tell you, ‘It looks like you’re overstriding, try to do this to fix it,”’ Harper said. “It might tell you to keep your elbows back behind your hips because if your elbows extend beyond your hips, that’s going to cause your foot to land out in front of your body. … and there are tons of similar recommendations. Altra is all about teaching people how to run properly, helping people become better, more efficient runners and avoid injury.” Amanda Jones recently began using the smart shoe after injuring herself and undergoing knee surgery. She had taken time off from her regular running schedule to recover but had been an avid runner for years before. When she began running again, she noticed a significant imbalance in her stride. “I think (the shoe) can be really helpful for someone like me who is kind of working out different imbalances and ensuring there’s more of an even foot strike on both sides,” Jones said. “That’s been interesting to me in terms of revealing some of the issues and gaps I still have while running.” Jones did note, however, that she would like to see more integration with other running apps in the future, including MapMyRun and Strava. Fortunately, that’s something that Harper and his team say they’ve had in mind since the beginning. The Altra team is currently working to provide that integration for future upgrades of the smart shoe, as well as more advanced metrics and GPS tracking.
According to Harper, however, the Altra IQ can help coach all runners right now, whether they’re recovering from an injury or running a marathon.
“You might be running a marathon and you might be doing great the first 20 miles,” Harper said. “Then as you start to fatigue and slip with your technique, the shoe is going to come in and give you recommendations on how to keep your technique strong and be able to finish without fading as much.”
While most sports include some sort of initial coaching, the majority of runners begin to run on their own without any real guidance on correct form.
“The shoe and the app provide coaching right when (runners) need it most … and that’s really the magic of this product," Harper said. "It gives you tips to help you improve right then and there.”
The Altra Torin IQ is available online and at the Salt Lake Running Company and Runner's Corner stores for $220.
