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——Codoon Smart Walking Shoes Review
Xiaodang's public testing is back! After a year, Xiaodang's public testing is back in full force. This time, the product being tested is Codoon's own brand, the Codoon Smart Walking Shoes. I am very fortunate to be one of the first reviewers of this comeback. Thank you to the Codoon Equipment Party for giving me such a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Speaking of walking shoes, this is the first time I've heard of this concept. Previously, I had only heard of hiking shoes, trekking shoes, trail running shoes, and marathon running shoes. After learning about it, walking shoes are a new category of sports footwear, different from traditional sports shoes. Walking shoes have thin soles and thick uppers, and they are very soft, making them ideal for jogging and walking. So how are the Codoon Smart Walking Shoes? Let me give you a detailed look.
Brand Introduction
Codoon is a unique internet sports brand, the largest national sports social platform, and a pioneer and advocate of changing traditional sports concepts in China. If you are a Codoon fan, you should be very familiar with this brand and don't need me to use any fancy words to introduce it.
Unboxing
The shoe box is quite simple. The entire box is white without any complicated information. There is only a label on the left side of the box, providing a brief description of the shoe model, size, and color. There are semi-circular openings on both sides of the lid, which effectively ventilate the shoes, preventing them from becoming damp and moldy when not worn for a long time.
Opening the box, the shoes are a bright ice blue color. The overall color scheme feels very youthful, and combined with the white sole, the shoes look quite sleek without too many embellishments. The shoes also come with tags that provide some basic information, and there is a small black box that contains the chip.
Appearance: The Codoon Smart Walking Shoes have a relatively simple design, with blue accented by specks of white. At first glance, they bring a refreshing feeling to this summer. The toe is slightly upturned, a common feature in many shoes on the market.
Upper: The upper is designed with an integrated knitted fabric, making it fit the feet like a sock. Through complex knitting techniques, the upper is seamless, fitting, breathable, and lightweight. The fine yarn makes the wrapping and comfort of the upper even more outstanding.
Midsole: The midsole uses lightweight EVA material, which has excellent elasticity and shock absorption. Additionally, the high-elastic soft midsole design provides excellent shock absorption and flexibility.
Heel: In addition to the embedded TPU, there is an exposed ring-shaped TPU support ring, which significantly enhances support and provides better ankle wrapping.
Tongue: The tongue of the shoe is designed as an integrated piece, ensuring that the shoes are easy to put on and take off while also preventing the tongue from shifting during walking or running, effectively stopping debris and small stones from entering the shoe. At this point, the laces are just decorative. Additionally, this design aligns with current fashion trends, making the shoes more stylish and versatile.
Insole: The surface of the insole is made of hemp material, which is sweat-absorbent and deodorizing. The bottom is made of loose, porous material, providing excellent shock absorption and durability. The thickness is also quite good, showing sincerity.
Outsole: The outsole features a hexagonal pattern combined with striped designs. The forefoot and heel, which are prone to wear, are distinguished by raised blue hexagons, while the rest of the sole has recessed white hexagons. This design provides multi-directional grip, increasing friction with the ground and making running more secure. It easily handles everyday road sports.
Smart Features
After discussing the overall design of the shoes, let's look at the smart features of the Codoon Smart Walking Shoes, which is their biggest highlight. Earlier in the article, I mentioned the small black box containing the chip. Now, let's go into detail about it.
Opening the small black box, you'll find a chip, a chip battery replacement tool, and a manual. The chip has the Codoon English logo on the front, and the triangular piece is the prying tool.
How does the smart chip work? As a loyal Codoon fan, I used their first smart running shoes, the RF, when they were released, so I'm very familiar with how to install the chip. This chip is different from the timing chips used in marathon races; it is not tied to the laces. Remove the left insole, and you'll see a slot under the left insole of the walking shoe, which is where the chip is placed. To help new Codoon users, I'll explain the chip installation steps in detail, hoping more newcomers will join Codoon and explore more of their smart products, such as smart running shoes, smart body fat scales, smart heart rate headphones, smart treadmills, and more.
First, you need to download the Codoon app in advance.(From this day on, you officially become a Codoon user)After completing the registration, simply go to 'My' - 'Equipment' - 'Add Equipment' - 'Add a Pair of Running Shoes', select Codoon Smart Walking Shoes, and scan the QR code on the back of the chip or enter the ID number below the QR code to complete the binding. The operation is very convenient. Once bound, during subsequent use, as long as you are within the connection range, you can sync your personal walking and running data.(All of the above is actually detailed in the manual)
Connect via Bluetooth to the Codoon app for synchronized use. The app will provide real-time data from the smart chip and give voice prompts to help users adjust their stride frequency. After use, the smart chip will provide data on stride frequency, stride length, impact cushioning, average ground contact time, landing distribution, and gait analysis. These detailed data help users understand and improve their running posture. If used without connecting to a phone, the smart chip cannot record GPS tracks as it does not have an integrated GPS module. After running, you can sync the data recorded by the smart chip to the Codoon app.
Field Test
As an amateur running enthusiast who has participated in several marathons, I have little experience with walking. Therefore, when testing these walking shoes, I used them for running. After all, the official positioning of walking shoes is primarily for walking, suitable for 5k runs. So, I used them for a 5k slow run on the track and a 5k slow run on the road.
Road Test
After putting on the Codoon Smart Walking Shoes, they felt very lightweight. The knitted mesh fabric was also quite soft, with no signs of chafing. The hexagonal groove design on the sole greatly enhanced the shoe's grip. Regardless of the running speed, turns, or sudden stops, I could stand steadily. I maintained a pace of about 6.5 minutes per kilometer. After starting the run, the shoes felt light and bouncy, very comfortable, and well-fitted. My feet felt relaxed and free.
Post-run, the feeling was still good, but since they are not professional running shoes, the toe area lacked support material, so at higher speeds, the toe wrapping was not ideal. After all, these are walking shoes, so for jogging and walking, they are a good choice.
Track Test
On the rubber track, I also conducted a 5k slow run pace test with the Codoon Smart Walking Shoes. Due to the characteristics of the rubber track, the shock absorption experience was much better than on the road. Therefore, I personally recommend using the Codoon Smart Walking Shoes more on rubber tracks to better extend the life and characteristics of the running shoes. The temperature was around 28°C, and after the run, my feet didn't feel particularly hot. The breathability was average. I personally think these walking shoes are best suited for autumn and winter wear.
Since I have always had an issue with overpronation while running, the biggest drawback is that the overpronation area wears out the sole quickly. The data from the two runs with the Codoon Smart Walking Shoes showed that my overpronation issue still exists and is quite severe. This might be due to the integrated design, where the laces are only decorative, and the wrapping is not ideal. Correcting this issue has always troubled me, but long-term running hasn't caused any harm, so I have continued running this way. Additionally, with any Codoon smart series running shoes, you can get a random red envelope after running, regardless of the amount. It's a small reward for your exercise, and it's quite satisfying!
Summary
After testing in two different environments, I believe that the right shoes should be used for the right activities. Walking shoes are primarily designed for walking, but experts might ignore this and use walking shoes for marathons. After all, some people run marathons barefoot or in slippers, so walking shoes are more than capable.
Overall, these walking shoes align well with the brand's positioning and offer good value for money. They are comfortable for short-distance walking and running. In terms of appearance, these shoes come in multiple colors, all of which are youthful and vibrant, making them suitable for various styles of sportswear. They are also a good choice for everyday casual wear, whether for work, jogging in the park, or light outdoor hiking and shopping. As for shortcomings, I think the smart features are not yet perfect. After running, the shoes provide various smart data but do not offer reasonable guidance. Having this data is good, but it can also be a downside because seeing many shortcomings without knowing how to correct them can be frustrating. Without the data, I would be more at ease.