Wearables

Puma brings back its RS-Computer smart running shoe from the 1980s

Puma brings back its RS-Computer smart running shoe from the 1980s
Puma's relaunched RS-Computer shoe
Puma's relaunched RS-Computer shoe
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Computer hardware has changed quite a bit in the three decades since Puma introduced its original RS-Computer running shoe
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Computer hardware has changed quite a bit in the three decades since Puma introduced its original RS-Computer running shoe
The new Puma RS-Computer shoes run the same Lunar Rock-Limestone-Peacot colorway of the original
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The new Puma RS-Computer shoes run the same Lunar Rock-Limestone-Peacot colorway of the original
Puma's relaunched RS-Computer shoe
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Puma's relaunched RS-Computer shoe
View gallery - 3 images

Computer hardware has changed quite a bit in the three decades since Puma introduced its original RS-Computer running shoe. The relaunched version carries over a distinctly retro aesthetic, but replaces a connector cable with a Bluetooth connection along with a few other choice upgrades to equip the wearable for the internet age.

There was a time when Puma's original RS-Computer shoe, with its chip built not-so-discreetly into the heel, may well have been the only way to track your key fitness metrics. These days there is no shortage of wearables you could employ to do the job, and even a growing host of edgy smart sneakers, but will they bring you the same vintage-inspired street cred?

Instead of plugging a 16-pin cable into the heel of the sneaker at one end and a Commodore 64 at the other, the refreshed version can communicate running time, distance and calories spent to iOS and Android phones over Bluetooth. In another nod to its retro-past, the dedicated smartphone app will present this data through 8-bit graphics, and even features an 8-bit game.

The new Puma RS-Computer shoes run the same Lunar Rock-Limestone-Peacot colorway of the original
The new Puma RS-Computer shoes run the same Lunar Rock-Limestone-Peacot colorway of the original

Also packed into the rebooted running boots is a three-axis accelerometer to gather the key metrics mentioned above, onboard memory to store 30 days of data and a built-in battery to power it all, rechargeable via USB.

The tech has been updated inside but the outside remains much the same, with the new RS-Computer shoes running the same Lunar Rock-Limestone-Peacot colorway of the originals. They'll be produced in very small numbers, 86 in all, with sales kicking off at Puma stores in Tokyo, London and Berlin, as well as online, from tomorrow.

Source: Puma

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2 comments
2 comments
Gizmowiz
Extra weight to carry around no thanks.. bit some NFL kickers might enjoy the extra yardage from heavier shoes...
anthony88
I hope it comes with a very long USB cable so I can put my smelly shoes in another room when I connect them up to my computer.