Xiaomi expands wearables line with new smart shoes

Xiaomi has become one of the largest wearables makers in the world by making affordable activity trackers for the masses. Costing about $15, the Mi Band has proven very popular in China, although the product has not made it far outside the company's home country yet. Still, Xiaomi is pushing ahead with its wearables ambitions. The maker has now put out its first pair of smart shoes under its 90 Minutes brand, Gizchina reported.

The Ultra Smart Sportswear shoes use Intel's Curie module to collect data similar to the kind now standard in other wearables. This includes distance, speed and calories. Having this sensor technology in a shoe will ideally help make it more accurate than the step counts that have often been criticized in wrist-wearables.

Like most other Xiaomi products, the Ultra Smart Sportswear will only be available in China at first, starting in April. There is no word on further expansion right now. Given the company's limited success outside its home base, this is not surprising.

True to form for the company, those with access to Xiaomi's new footwear will be getting a good deal compared with the competition. These shoes will sell for 299 yuan, just a little more than $43. For comparison, Under Armour's recently announced smart shoes start at $140. It is easy to see how China alone has helped spearhead Xiaomi to the top of the wearables market.