Shop E Store Avelo Running is a fitness-focused startup that has recently come out of stealth and is launching its first product. What the company is building could potentially be the perfect running companion for your Apple Watch. However, runners with smartphones can earn profits without running without phones or monitoring.
Avelo was intrigued from the moment the company crossed my radar before revealing the actual product, but worried that their running solution would ask them to choose between it and the Apple Watch.
I don’t know if I drove my first mile without an Apple Watch. There is a real product loyalty built over time, as the first 5K or 7th half marathon is much less. Watches are more than just a run tracker for me, and I am not keen to tie myself into more technology.
However, Abelo is not trying to compete for wrist space. Instead, the company competes in a market where brand loyalty has even more cult status: running shoes.
The Avelo running shoes in my mind are the spiritual successor to the Nike+iPod Sport Kit, nearly 20 years ago.
Nike has supported a very basic connected running system by the 2025 technical standards. It consisted of a single sensor connected or embedded in a running shoe, and a receiver connected to an iPod. The system captured with a mix of workout duration, travel distance, pace and calories.
Currently, comparable run tracking data has far higher fidelity thanks to heart rate sensors, GPS and advanced algorithms. Apple has also pushed the clock up beyond basic training data measurements. Currently, the Apple Watch displays running power and running form elements, including vertical vibration, ground contact time, and stride length. But even Apple has admitted that a set of wrist sensors cannot measure all the training data. So, your Apple Watch can interface with Bluetooth accessories for cycling training, for example.
Avelo’s smart running shoes could be runners, the equivalent of those accessories. Smartwatches can enhance the ability to enhance their dedicated hardware without competing. And they’re more than just smart shoes. They are first built as super trainers and designed to be loved by runners before technical considerations get into action.
It’s just the hardware aspect. Avelo aims to not only capture more run data with higher accuracy, but also provide feedback and coaching that can make you a better runner. This is an ambitious goal that requires a combination of expertise and cutting-edge technology that has never been built this way before.
Avelo takes a full stack approach like Apple for that reason. The company doesn’t just embed tips in ready-made shoes. They build everything from footwear to sensor arrays to software layers that turn biomechanical data into meaningful insights. The team behind it aims to bring together footwear design, sports science and software engineering experts to provide lab-quality data for products that runners can own.
And unlike almost all other smart products these days, you don’t need to charge your Avelo smart shoes. The battery is designed to have the full life of the shoe. That’s a big deal for a product that wants to be a part of your everyday life. Another important detail is that each shoe has its own sensor. This seems to be something given for what you want to create the most complete image of running performance, but even Nike’s system in 2006 used a single sensor per shoe.
Abelo Running certainly cuts out their work for them. Making products that runners can try is challenging enough. Do you ask the runner to trust you with the material between your feet and the ground? That’s a completely different hurdle, but Abelo’s running aims to make a leap.
Avelo Running recently left stealth mode and previewed what they’re building publicly. For now, the best way to register your interests is Sign up to sign up for free as Avelo’s Journey unfolds. You can also follow the running on Instagram and YouTube to see the team’s previous work behind the scenes.
