Avelo Running is a fitness-focused startup that recently came out of stealth to unveil their first product. What the company is building has the potential to be the perfect running companion for Apple Watch. Any runner with a smartphone can benefit, though, without bringing a phone or watch along for the run.
Avelo intrigued me from the moment the company crossed my radar—before revealing their actual product—though I worried their running solution might ask me to choose between it and my Apple Watch.
I’m not sure I would have ever run my first mile without the Apple Watch, much less my first 5K or seventh half marathon, so there’s real product loyalty that has built over time. The watch is also a lot more than just a run tracker for me, and I’m not keen on strapping more tech to myself.
Avelo isn’t trying to compete for space on the wrist, though. Instead, the firm will compete in a market where brand loyalty has even more of a cult status: running shoes.
Avelo Running shoes in my mind are the spiritual successor to the Nike+iPod Sport Kit from nearly 20 years ago.
Nike supported a connected running system that was quite rudimentary by 2025 technology standards. It consisted of a single sensor that either attached to or embedded inside a running shoe and a receiver that connected to an iPod. The system captured workout duration, distance traveled, pace, and calories with mixed degrees of accuracy.
Presently, comparable run tracking data has much higher fidelity thanks to heart rate sensors, GPS, and advanced algorithms. Apple has also pushed the watch beyond measuring basic workout data. Now Apple Watch displays running power and running form elements including vertical oscillation, ground contact time, and stride length. But even Apple acknowledges that a set of sensors on your wrist can’t measure all workout data. That’s why the Apple Watch can interface with Bluetooth accessories for cycling workouts, for instance.
Avelo’s smart running shoes may be the runner’s equivalent to those accessories: purpose-built hardware that enhances what a smartwatch can do, without competing with it. And they’re not just any smart shoes—they’re built as supertrainers first, designed to be loved by runners before any tech considerations come into play.
That’s only the hardware aspect. Avelo aims to not just capture more running data with higher accuracy, but also provide feedback and coaching that can make you a better runner. That’s an ambitious goal that requires a combination of expertise and state-of-the-art technology that hasn’t been assembled in quite this way before.
Avelo is taking an Apple-like full-stack approach for that reason. The company isn’t just embedding a chip into an off-the-shelf shoe. They’re building everything—from the footwear to the sensor array to the software layer that turns biomechanics data into meaningful insights. The team behind it brings together experts in footwear design, sports science, and software engineering, aiming to deliver lab-quality data in a product that any runner can own.
And unlike almost every other smart product these days, Avelo’s smart shoes won’t need to be recharged. The battery is designed to last the full life of the shoe. That’s a big deal for a product that wants to become part of your everyday routine. Another important detail is that each shoe has its own sensor. This seems like a given for something that wants to create the most complete picture of your run performance, but even Nike’s system from 2006 used a single sensor per pair of shoes.
Avelo Running certainly has their work cut out for them. Making any product that you can convince runners to try is challenging enough. Asking runners to trust you with the material between their feet and the ground? That’s a whole other hurdle, but one that Avelo Running aspires to leap.
Avelo Running only recently exited stealth mode and previewed what they’re building publicly. For now, the best way to register interest is to sign up for free to follow along as Avelo’s journey unfolds. You can also follow Avelo Running on Instagram and YouTube for a behind-the-scenes look at the team’s work so far.
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