Get ready to say goodbye to your dumb old shoes, because Apple has been granted a patent for chip-equipped smart shoes.
The patent, which has the catchy title "Shoe wear-out sensor, body-bar sensing system, unitless activity assessment and associated methods" was filed back in July 2012 but was only just approved today.
Making everyday items smarter
A worn out shoe would issue an alert using either a series of LED lights or through a wireless transmitter to an external display like a smartphone.
With an external display all of the collected data could be available to the user, turning the smart shoe into an easy way to keep track of workouts without needing any external pedometer.
Nike has been hugely successful with its Nike+ products, and the Apple patent could very well be the next evolution for the fitness line or even a direct competitor.
The patent also brings up the question of how long it will be until more chip-infused products become commonplace at home.
Wearable tech has its limits (you probably really don't need a chip to tell you when a pair of pants or socks are worn out) but an LED alert letting you know to replace a toothbrush or razor doesn't sound too far-fetched anymore.
Apple's always been famous for its great designs, so if it comes out with a sleek tennie in the next few years, we might just try them on for size.