<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Gigaom]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[http://gigaom.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[Kevin C. Tofel]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[http://search.gigaom.com/author/kevintofel/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[These washable smart socks can reduce injuries from running]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>After braving the somewhat wacky wearables area in the Sands at this year&#8217;s Consumer Electronics show &#8212; unfashionable brainwave helmets are a &#8220;thing&#8221; this year &#8212; it became clear that most of the products are rehashes of fitness and health trackers. Everybody, it seems, has their own wrist-based device to measure sleep, steps and such. Among the more unique products were the <a href="http://www.sensoriafitness.com/">smart socks from Sensoria Fitness</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/img_20150107_122740228.jpg?quality=80&strip=all"><img  src="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/img_20150107_122740228.jpg?quality=80&#038;strip=all&#038;w=804&#038;h=452" alt="Sensoria fitness socks" width="804" height="452" data-attribution-source="http://KevinC.Tofel/Gigaom" class="size-full wp-image-905026 aligncenter" /></a></p>
<p>Granted, these aren&#8217;t quite new: <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/sensoria-smart-sock-fitness-tracker">The company raised more than $115,000 in a successful 2013 Indiegogo campaign</a>. I haven&#8217;t had the chance to see them myself, however, so I got a closer look on Wednesday.</p>
<p><a href="https://gigaom.com/2014/11/24/omsignal-biometric-shirt-review/">Much like the OMSignal vest I recently tested</a>, the Sensoria socks are constructed with conductive fibers. If you handed these socks to someone, I&#8217;d be surprised if they knew they were &#8220;smart socks,&#8221; which is a good thing.</p>
<p>Sensors on the bottom of the socks measure your foot-strike and cadence, sending the data through fibers to a magnetic cuff that attaches to the top of the socks. The cuff houses a Bluetooth radio to get the data <a href="http://www.sensoriafitness.com/App">to a companion app</a> currently available for <a href="https://search.gigaom.com/company/apple/">Apple</a> iOS and in preview for <a href="https://search.gigaom.com/company/google/">Google</a> Android devices. The Sensoria folks tell me they&#8217;re also working on a <a href="https://search.gigaom.com/company/microsoft/">Microsoft</a> Windows Phone app.</p>
<p>The Sensoria app can, for example, plan your running cadence for a workout and it will tell you if you&#8217;re not meeting that goal, or if you&#8217;re running with a faster cadence than planned. Additionally, the app will alert if you if you&#8217;re landing on the heel of your foot, which can lead to injury.</p>
<p><a href="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/sensoria-app-iphone.jpg?quality=80&strip=all"><img  src="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/sensoria-app-iphone.jpg?quality=80&#038;strip=all&#038;w=804" alt="sensoria app iphone"   data-attribution="Sensoria" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-905029" /></a></p>
<p>I asked about any additional data that could be gathered by the socks when I&#8217;m running; in particular, I&#8217;d love to get the strike angle of my foot as it hits the ground. Sensoria says it&#8217;s possible and something they&#8217;re looking into in the future. For now, you get the basics to help run more efficiently in a device that looks like, and can be washed just like, a pair of socks.</p>
<p>At a time when it appears everyone who can stuff sensors into a plastic gadget for your wrist, it&#8217;s nice to see some companies using innovative textile technology for wearable devices that look like what you wear today. Yes, the sensor-filled bracelets, watches and bands have their place, but I&#8217;m more excited about the future of smart fabrics in everyday-looking clothes. So too is Davide Vigano, the co-founder and CEO of Sensoria, <a href="https://gigaom.com/2014/10/22/whats-next-for-wearables-no-its-not-the-internet-of-thongs/">who spoke about this topic in October at our Gigaom Structure Show</a>.</p>
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<p><a href="http://search.gigaom.com/tag/CES-2015/"><img  src="https://gigaom2.files.wordpress.com/2015/01/ces-2015-3.jpg?quality=80&#038;strip=all&#038;w=804&#038;h=304" alt="ces-2015-3" width="804" height="304" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-903830" /></a><em>Update: This post was updated on 1/8/2015 to correct an error that stated landing on the ball of your feet leads to injuries.</em></p>
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