TRAQ by Alegria wants to keep consumers moving—and it is offering smart shoes that meet demands for comfort, functionality and the ability to track physical activity.
Launched by Alegria Shoes, a Pepper Gate Footwear Inc. brand, TRAQ by Alegria is the comfort shoe brand’s first smart shoe made for walking, working and relaxation. The collection was on display last week at the FFANY Shoe Show.
The brand aims to provide its core demographic—women who love to walk and need a comfortable footwear option for their busy lifestyles—with a shoe that moves with them. With wellness on the rise, TRAQ by Alegria addresses a missing gap in the market for a smart shoe that is not complicated, looks fashionable, is affordable and enables consumers to collect their own health data.
“Pedometers have never been so popular and our shoes are actually cheaper than a Fitbit. I think people are really waking up to the fact that they should be mobile, get their stuff done and have improved health,” said Megan Gold, Alegria footwear designer. “People are walking more, people are being more conscious of physical activity. It’s a great time to launch.”
TRAQ by Alegria leverages two distinct features—a comfort footbed and Q-Chip technology—to provide consumers with the ultimate smart shoe.
Each TRAQ by Alegria shoe comes with Alegria’s unique footbed developed with a blend of cork, memory foam and polyurethane that conforms to the natural shape of feet and provides optimal support. Additionally, the footbed is paired with a dual-density outsole to alleviate stress on other parts of the body, including the back, hips and legs.
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When consumers wear a TRAQ by Alegria shoe, they can also count each step they take with smart Q-chip technology embedded in the shoe. The Q-Chip connects the shoes to an Alegria TRAQ smartphone app, where consumers can track their daily, weekly and monthly physical activity and set personal fitness goals.
What’s more, the Q-Chip never needs to be charged, enabling consumers to seamlessly enjoy the benefits of wearable technology without wiring or complicated hardware.
TRAQ by Alegria is currently available in four core styles—Qin, Qarma, Qwik and Quest. The shoes, which retail from $98.95 and $119.95 and come in a variety of colors including black, charcoal and red. For Fall ’18, the brand is updating its current offering with additional colors, including gray and navy and patterns like dark blue florals.
The line is currently available at retailers and e-commerce sites, including QVC, Dillard’s and Zappos. Recently, the brand has recently garnered interest from independent running footwear retailers.
“We had several running stores that were checking out the TRAQ line, they all have a lot of customers coming into their stores and saying, “I don’t run, but I walk,” and they want to guide them to find the right shoes,” said Erin Mitchell, Alegria’s Northwest territory sales manager. “I think that’s going to be a whole new business for us, and to be with those types of retailers is exciting.”