[ENG] No more cold feet! £130 smart insoles heat up icy toes – and even work as a pedometer

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Oct 15, 2015 / dans Entreprises
  • ‘Warm Series’ heated soles can be controlled from a smartphone
  • Interactive soles also act like a pedometer to record distance and calories
  • Temperature of each insole can be adjusted up to 45°C by sliding a bar
  • They will be available later this month in 40 countries for £130 ($198)

Whether it’s waiting for a train or embarking on a long winter walk, your feet can get cold in even the most sensible of shoes.

But now there are heated insoles that can be controlled from your smartphone to keep toes toasty.

Called the ‘Warm Series,’ the interactive insoles also act like a pedometer to record a wearer’s distance travelled and the calories they burn.

heated insoles that can be controlled from your smartphone to keep toes toasty. Called the ‘Warm Series,’ the interactive insoles also act like a pedometer to record a wearer’s distance travelled and the calories they burn

It’s claimed they are the first ever connected, heated insole and are designed for professional sports people, as well as anyone who regularly gets cold feet.

Users can control the insoles from an iPhone or Android app. This is possible using a Bluetooth connection.

The temperature of each insole can be adjusted separately up to a maximum of 45°C (113°F) by sliding a bar on the app. 

Users can control the insoles from an app. This is possible using a Bluetooth connection. The screenshot on the left shows the temperature setting, while the right shows a route walked in the shoes

The insoles are made by Digitsole.  CEO of the start-up and designer of the product, Karim Oumnia, said: ‘For the first time, with one pair of Digitsole insoles, you will be able to connect your shoes to your smartphone and interact with it in order to never get cold again.’

Mr Oumnia, from Nancy, France, was inspired to design the soles when he went on a hunting trip which was cut short because he had cold feet.

He said: ‘I first thought of the heated insole when a French company specialising in hunting products asked me as an engineer to help them to create a shoe collection.

‘The CEO invited me to go hunting. It was March and in the middle of France – it was of course very chilly.

‘When I arrived it took me less than five minutes to experience the terrible feeling of frozen feet and I immediately asked the CEO to drive me back home.

‘A few weeks later I designed a heated insole that was powered with a simple battery.’

HOW DO THE ‘WARM SERIES’ INSOLES WORK?

The ‘Warm Series’ insoles are designed to fit inside most shoes.

They are made from Neotech’, which is a specially designed lightweight material, layered with ‘Ortholite’ which has shock absorbing characteristics.

They weigh just 3.5 ounces (100grams) and measure 13mm at their widest points.

The insoles contain a rechargeable battery and thermostat that controls the he temperature, causing the insole to heat up once it drops below a chosen setting.

This temperature can be adjusted using a companion app.

It also displays statistics collected by the insoles such as distance travelled and calories burned.

Mr Oumnia, 48, added: ‘I was then obsessed by the idea of connecting the heated insole. And now it’s done.’

Weighing about 100 grams, the Warm Series is extremely light, weighing just 3.5 ounces (100g) is also very thin, measuring only 5 mm at the toe, and a maximum 13 mm at the heel where the battery is built-in.

The temperature of each insole can be adjusted separately up to a maximum of 45°C (113°F) by sliding a bar on the app. Both sides of the innovative interactive insoles are shown above.

An intergrated thermostat controls the temperature, causing the insole to heat up once it drops below a chosen setting.

The product is made from ‘Neotech’, which is a specially designed lightweight material, layered with ‘Ortholite’ which has shock absorbing characteristics.

The battery lasts between eight hours, if used continuously, or several days of used sparingly.

The insoles are charged with a micro-USB charger and are designed to fit most types of shoes, coming in sized EUR 34-37 (sizes 2-12 in the UK and 4.5 to 13 in the US).

They will be available later this month in 40 countries, including the UK, for £130 ($198).

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© Sarah GRIFFITHS for MAILONLINE – Read the original article by clicking here