Under Armour Unveils New Connected Sneakers

One year after Under Armour launched three pairs of connected running shoes at the 2017 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the sports apparel giant has unveiled two more — the Hovr Phantom and Hovr Sonic, TechCrunch reported.

The magic happens inside foam soles of the shoes, where a Bluetooth module, accelerometer and gyroscope are embedded. To power it all, each pair has an onboard battery that the company says should last about the length of the shoe’s stated running shelf life. The modules activate when the system senses motion, syncing with a connected handset. The shoes also contain onboard storage, enabling users to go for a run and later sync results with Under Armour MapMyRun app, and track standard metrics such as distance.

The connected running shoes also provide data on more complex stats like stride length and cadence so users can correct their form over time.

Both pairs are priced between $100 and $150. The connected versions of the Phantoms run at $140, while the Sonics are $110. Without the gadgetry, the shoes sell for $130 and $100, respectively.

The announcement comes nearly a year after the company decided to cautiously plan for its future amid slumping sales. To help move the ball for its yearly revenue in 2017, Under Armour focused on five specific areas of interest in addition to its restructuring efforts: men’s training, women’s training, running, basketball and lifestyle sports apparel.

Last year, the company also introduced its own subscription retail service. AmourBox, which launched in October, offers consumers a selection of the company’s sportswear on a monthly basis.

Under Armour joins established players like Birchbox, Trunk Club, Stitch Fix and Rent the Runway in the subscription box market. Amazon.com and The Gap have also been getting involved in the space, the former with its Prime Wardrobe service and the latter with a recently announced service focusing on its baby items lines.