Nike + iPod nano = Nike+

You’re average pace is 7:15.

Two miles to go.

You completed 30 minutes, 27 seconds.

When I think of electronics being integrated with shoes, I’m thinking gimmicks, not serious gear. No doubt the folks at Nike took that into consideration when they handed over the first run of Nike+ running shoes to their product testers. And that’s why when it’s a company like Nike, I have to think this just might be serious gear.

Nike+ running shoes connect wirelessly to your iPod nano to provide “real feedback in real time.” The shoes, in combination with the required Nike+iPod Sport Kit, use an embedded sensor to provide feedback to the iPod throughout your workout. As the iPod is updated, important information like pace, distance, and calories burned is displayed on the screen. But don’t worry about looking down every few minutes and breaking your focus (or your ankle); a friendly voice from the iPod (select male or female) will update you on the collected data periodically while you’re listening to your favorite tunes. When you’re finished with your run, hook your iPod up to your computer and the software will automatically link to nikeplus.com to sync and track your progress. From there you can look at pretty charts of your progress and even compete against other Nike+ users to make it all the more interesting.

Nike+ shoes are selling at select retailers for about $100 with the Nike+iPod Sport Kit averaging just under $30. There’s also lots of Nike+ apparel available to hold your iPod and stash earbud wires.

Perfect running weather is right around the corner, so now's the perfect time to get in on one of the first truely practical examples of wearable technology.

Available at Nordstrom: Nike+ for men - Nike+ for women