North East runner goes the extra mile with launch of wearable tech brand

A new wearable tech designed to help runners find the right type of shoes has been launched by a North East runner-turned-entrepreneur.

Sportstech firm mymo is the brainchild of runner Craig Downs, who identified a gap in the market after sustaining an injury from being sold the wrong type of shoes for his feet.

Short for ‘My Motion’, mymo aims to allow runners to understand their gait and how their foot transitions during exercise, using an AI algorithm to find the best shoes for the user.

Craig, who is from Chester-le-Street, explained: “The running shoe market is extremely complex and confusing with manufacturers constantly bringing out new models and technologies.

“To buy the right type of shoes, you need to understand your running gait, but why do you have to go into a running store or clinic to do this? Not only is it inconvenient, particularly now during lockdown, but more people are shopping online so mymo is a personal solution to all of this.”

The team at mymo, based at The Hub in Washington, has collaborated with Northumbria University to develop and test the algorithm ahead of its launch.

Craig added: “I wanted to develop an innovative solution that not only helps runners, but is consistently accurate, independent and impartial - we are not commission-driven to push particular brands/shoes and customers are free to choose which shoes they want to buy and where to buy them from.”

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