What Are the Top High Tech Shoes in 2022

Image of a pair of Puma top high tech shoes and a caption Top high tech shoes.

There’s barely any aspect of our lives that doesn’t involve technology at this point. But did you know that besides smartwatches or headphones, there’s another tech thing you can wear? That’s where high tech shoes come in. In the last years, many companies jumped on the trend to evolve their footwear to match the latest tech trends. Today you can find big and small brands that offer top high tech shoes that can satisfy the needs of every geek or a hardcore athlete.

If you’re curious to learn more about this (not so) new model shoes, keep reading, as we may have a few surprises for you.

What Are High Tech Shoes?

Before we introduce the top high tech shoes we think you’ll want to check out, let’s briefly cover what we mean by “high tech shoes”. In some places, you can even see those shoes called “smart shoes”, similarly to smartphones or smartwatches, and what makes them smarter than your regular pair of sneakers, is that they incorporate technology in them. They may look similar to normal shoes but some ways high tech shoes differ is by using Bluetooth technology or different sensors in their soles that link to your smartphone and provides different data. You may wonder why is this necessary, aren’t regular shoes enough? For some people, no, they aren’t. What footwear with incorporated technology provides over normal shoes is enhanced comfort and convenience.

What’s more, in a research from 2020, it was proven that high tech shoes are very beneficial for runners, as they reduce oxygen consumption, energy cost per kilometer run, and improve run time. The research proved that while the experience was individual, many athletes had their running made more efficient by using top high tech shoes.

What Technologies Do the Top High Tech Shoes Use?

Did we make you curious about smart shoes, especially after stating some data? Now you’re probably wondering what kind of tech is in those top high tech shoes. Let’s go briefly over it, so you get an idea.

The most important thing you should know about this specific kind of footwear is that they have different sensors in them. Some include a gyroscope or accelerometer, to analyze your running, GPS for real-time location information, pressure sensors that provide data about the wearer’s body weight distribution, sensors that provide technical data like battery or memory capacity, and sensors for the environment, including those that collect data for light, sound, or atmospheric pressure.

If we need to summarize how the technology behind the top high tech shoes works we can put it that way:

Companies make shoes that look similar to the sneakers we know and love, however, they make them a thing of the future, not only including flashing lights in the soles (though some have that and they’re undeniably cool), but also making it possible to command your shoes through your phone, using the Bluetooth connection of the two. If you do that you can see metrics about your movements but also do funky things like automatically tie your shoes.

Image of sneakers and a white smartwatch.

What Are the Top High Tech Shoes in 2022

After the brief introduction of the technology behind smart shoes, we’ll take a look at some models that have gathered the attention of fashion lovers and runners who want to have the best possible experience.

Nike Top High Tech Shoes

Let’s start with a few suggestions from the popular shoe brand Nike. The company has made its first steps in this sector a while ago and today continues to bring technologically advanced footwear to its customers. One such model is Nike’s HyperAdapt 1.0s. These top high tech shoes are battery-powered sneakers that have the option for self-lacing that’s done according to your weight so it fits nicely, as well as a cool LED mid-sole. You should keep in mind, though, that here it’s comfort over functionality, as this pair doesn’t track any data for you.

Nike’s got the athletes covered too, by providing high tech running shoes in the models Nike Zoom Vaporfly, Free RN Distance, and Air Zoom Alphafly NEXT%. All of these shoes are made specifically for runners and catered to suit their needs for long runs while providing comfort. That’s ensured by the design of the shoes, as well as the used technology that brings the next level of experience for runners.

Nike has pairs of high-tech shoes for other sports lovers too, including the Adapt BB 2.0 made specifically as basketball shoes with the function for self-adjusting fit, straight from your phone. You can change how your shoes fit via the app or by adjusting them from the physical buttons on the midsoles. Another model of the brand even referred to as one of their most futuristic ones up-to-date, is Nike Adapt Auto Max, which has advanced power-lacing technology, combined with air-light soles technology and a very innovative design. 

Puma Top High Tech Shoes

Puma really enters the top high tech shoes market strong. LQD Cell Origin AR model uses augmented reality technology, as the whole shoe is covered in QR codes which when scanned with the special app provide the users with games, filters, and different visual effects. The Puma Fi shoes are self-lacing sneakers that also measure the foot size of the wearer and through a micromotor regulate the fit. The IGNITE PWRWARM model of the brand has a thermo-regulated technology to keep your feet at an optimal temperature, helping you preserve energy.

Under Armour High Tech Shoes

Under Armour has proved to be a strong competitor in the sector of top high tech shoes. Why? Because it constantly brings out new models that top out the previous one. The SpeedForm Gemini 3 is great because of the many sensors it has, being able to track your miles, workout plans, jumping level, routes taken, and more. This cool pair of shoes also tracks when you’ve reached your 400 miles and tells you it may be a time to change for a new pair, to continue having the same comfort. But then the company also has the HOVR Sonic shoes that don’t need to be charged as the brand promises that the battery will outlast the runner’s wear-and-tear of the shoe. Both these models and other high tech shoes by the brand connect with the Map My Run app to provide the users with all the data they seek to know, related to their shoes.

Adidas Top High Tech Shoes

Nike’s strongest rival, Adidas, is currently falling a bit behind when it comes to the top high tech shoes. In fact, the brand was ahead of the game, when it introduced its first intelligent running shoes back in 2004 and was called Adidas_1. Since then it hasn’t introduced many technological models, though. In 2022 Adidas has even accused Nike of copying its smart shoes. Nike currently is more invested in the high tech shoe sector, but if the trial doesn’t go their way, Adidas may jump further that the competitor.

Top High Tech Shoes From Other Brands

The brands we listed so far are famous for their footwear and it comes as no surprise if they’ve produced smart shoes already. Here we’ll also list some other companies that have released top high tech shoes you should definitely check out.

Xiaomi Top High Tech Shoes

The technology company Xiaomi provides a wide range of products and for a while has been selling top high tech shoes as well. You can find different models on their website, however, most of their shoes like the Li Ning model provide similar cool perks like monitoring statistical data, related to the runner’s performance, and giving recommendations to help improve performance.

DropLabs Top High Tech Shoes

This company takes shoes to the next level, above functionality and design, to a real sensory experience. The DropLabs EP 01 model has a smart chip that syncs with the music you’re listening to and vibrates to its rhythm. You can also watch movies and play games while wearing these kicks, as reviewers point out that the experience is amazing. The company also provides a gaming package for all the gamers that won’t want to waste their cool shoes running but they’d want to get the max out of them while experiencing their favorite worlds.

Are High Tech Shoes the Future of Footwear?

We’re now from head to toe in technology. Literally. While we don’t have the flying cars just yet, our tech future is coming true and the top high tech shoes we’ve presented here are securing their place in it. The footwear will likely evolve as the technology integrated into it is developing further and we can only guess what’s to come in the future. Maybe the smart shoes will become our everyday attire? Maybe they’ll die down in popularity because of the production cost? Who knows, we can only speculate. But for now, they’re a very cool piece of clothing that allows people to customize them to their needs. That’s why even if the top high tech shoes don’t become the new norm, they’re a pretty cool invention to have or just look at. 

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