Golf is getting to be a very tech-heavy sport, with personal launch monitors, GPS watches, shot tracking devices that integrate into your clubs, and so many more gadgets of every kind. A startup from Samsung Electronics entered the market a few years ago with technology integration for your shoes.
SALTED got its start back in 2014 as one of Samsung’s C.LAB incubation projects. Salted Venture progressed to a Kickstarter campaign with its IOFIT golf shoes in 2016, offering integrated technology that reads your weight and balance during your swing. As the SALTED brand progressed, so did the products that it offered, and in November of last year, they launched the Smart Insole.
Smart Insole
They took the same technology integrated into the IOFIT shoes and embedded it into insoles that you can use in any shoe of your choice. They can be cut to your exact shoe size and recharge with an included magnetic charging cable. The pressure sensors give you feedback on how much weight is on each foot, and what the weight distribution balance is towards your heel or toes. There are three apps that the Smart Insoles integrate with: SALTED Balance, SALTED Golf and SALTED Training. Each offers different feedback and instruction, but we’re here to talk about SALTED Golf.
The insoles connect to the app and analyze your swing in real-time, giving you voice feedback through your mobile device, vibration feedback from the insoles and a range of statistics about your swing. Not only does the app analyze your swing, but there are also videos on how to help correct different types of shots and misses. The downside seems to be that all the videos are in Korean, even though the app is in English.
Regardless, it seems like an interesting training tool, since balance and shifting your weight are integral parts to a proper swing.
Currently, they only appear to be offered through Amazon, though Salted., LTD is listed as the seller.
Launch: November 2019
MSRP: $169
To learn more about SALTED Smart Insoles, visit salted.ltd.
My full-time job has always been in the IT world, but I’ve also spent the better part of a decade writing product reviews and helping cover large industry-only trade shows. It was only in the latter part of 2019 that I put two and two together and realized I should be doing the same thing for something I’ve loved my whole life — golf. This is the culmination of a hobby that started as a child, a hobby that turned into a passion as an adult, and finally a passion that turned into The Golden Ferret.
