Samsung spin off Salted Venture has won the top award in the health/fitness category at the world’s largest sports products expo – ISPO – for its smart golf shoes named Iofit.
The startup made headlines around the world last year after showcasing its Iofit smart golf shoes at the Barcelona MWC. The wearables give budding golfers real-time data on swing performance using pressure sensors located in the outer sole.
The Iofit app connects to the shoes through bluetooth, and acts as a personal coach by displaying information on the user’s balance, weight shift and center of gravity. It also analyzes your swing form, impact points and feet tempo. The app adds an element of fun by being able to compare your swing with friends.
Iofit isn’t just for individuals and is also designed as a tool for coaches to use when working with players to perfect their swing skills. Videos of swings can be taken with an overlay of Iofit data for a comprehensive review.
Salted Venture had tougher competition than expected at ISPO, with no separate Asia category as in previous years. More than 400 products were showcased at ISPO 2017.
“This year we are seeing a lot of new attempts to combine IT in the apparel and brand markets,” says Jacob Cho, CEO of Salted Venture.
“Using this award, we’ll spread the word about our product’s great features in Europe and other global markets. We plan to bring the era of smart shoes forward by collaborating with brands.”
Salted Venture also attended CES 2017 in January where it received an award from the Consumer Electronics Association for innovation in the wearables category.
In August last year the company launched a Kickstarter campaign for Iofit which reached its target of $30,000 in just 10 hours, with a total of $102,000 raised to date. Iofit comes in a variety of styles and colors, and will retail for $399. The first shoes are set to be delivered to backers in the first half of this year.
