On Monday, the South Korean tech giant, Samsung, announced that it will show off a pair of “smart shoes” developed by Salted Venture, at the Mobile World Congress (MWC), taking place in Barcelona, Spain from the 22nd to 25th of February, 2016.

This unveiling of “IOFIT” smart shoes means Samsung’s biggest announcement at the MWC would probably not be the showcasing of its Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge as expected by customer at this year’s event.

Unlike, Xiaomi ‘s smart shoes, which was launched last year in partnership with sports brand ‘Li Ning’, Samsung’s IOFIT comes with better features and advanced technology. The IOFIT has two models; one bearing the look of running shoes and the other like the oxfords worn by golfers. The running shoe is designed to improve workout efficiency, injury prevention and exercise posture; while the latter aims to improve users’ swing posture, weight shift and club head speed.

How it works

Samsung’s IOFIT is embedded with sensors that can detect balance and posture at various parts of a foot especially for athletes. Both smart shoes come equipped with an application, which displays real-time data, either on a smartphone or a tablet and is supposed to coach users, essentially, on how to stand better.

The application also has an inbuilt video-recording feature that can be directly synced to the data picked up via the smart shoes. This implies that athletes can record themselves using the application, via a smartphone and sync the recording to the IOFIT’s data to determine their performance levels.

Unlike other fitness wearables, Salted Venture says that it has strived to develop a product that is both “portable and cost-effective”. The tech startup said that it has made use of data analysis technology like “accelerometers and pressure sensors”, which have been embedded right into the soles of the smart shoes.

The fitness shoes will be priced at $199, while the golf shoes will cost $259 after the unveiling at Mobile World Congress.