Meet the next-gen running shoe: A first look at Avelo’s ‘Supertrainer’

While our watches and phones track everything from heart rate to sleep quality, our most important running equipment has remained stubbornly analog – until now.

Avelo, the world’s first smart running shoe, is aiming to change how we train, recover, and improve as runners.

Ahead of the brand’s launch this May, we sat down with founder Royi Metser to learn how a personal health reality check led to creating a footwear brand that could transform the future of running.

Avelo will debut the Supertrainer in May 2025.

The turning point

In 2021, Royi Metser experienced an unexpected health wake-up call.

“A year into the Covid pandemic, for the first time, I found myself overweight and unhealthy. I’d always considered myself young and fit, but the results of a blood test kicked me in the ass, my cholesterol was sky-high and my biological age was 10 years older than my actual age,” Metser explains.

Avelo founder and CEO Royi Metser.

This reality check led to an immediate response. “Three days later I signed up for my first marathon. That’s when I became obsessed with running. It changed my life.

The transformation was remarkable. Six months of dedicated training culminated in crossing the finish line of his first marathon, dramatically improving his health markers. But like many runners, Metser hit the infamous wall at mile 21 – hard. Rather than discouraging him, this challenge only fueled his curiosity.

Spotting the opportunity

At the time, Metser was leading Business Development for InsideTracker, a platform that analyzes biomarkers across blood, DNA, and wearables. This background gave him unique insights into physiological monitoring – heart rate, stress, sleep, HRV, and recovery.

Despite all this data, something crucial was missing.

“I felt I had untapped potential, an opportunity to train even smarter, to reach my goals faster, with less trial and error,” Metser reflects. “And like so many, I fell into a frustrating cycle of injuries. Achilles tendinopathy. Stress reaction in my foot. Plantar fasciitis. It felt like I was taking one step forward, two steps back.”

The Supertrainer has been dubbed ‘the world’s first smart running shoe.’

These setbacks sparked a series of questions that would eventually lead to Avelo. Metser observed that despite running’s popularity, most people aren’t taught proper technique – we just lace up and go. He also realized that while our phones and watches have become increasingly sophisticated, running shoes – arguably our most important equipment remain “dumb.”

Building the next generation of running tech

Metser went down a rabbit hole of biomechanics and physiology research. He connected with leading scientists and coaches, eventually identifying a critical opportunity: to measure data from the feet continuously with every step, and use this information to coach runners to improve speed, strength, and resilience.

“A few years ago this sounded like science fiction,” Metser admits. “Fast forward two years and we’ve built the world’s first smart running shoe. It measures impact and running form, and connects to an app that coaches runners — improving performance, reducing injury risk, and even letting them know when it’s time for a new pair.”

The Supertrainer measures impact and running form, and connects to an app that coaches runners.

To rethink the running shoe, Avelo needed an exceptional team. Metser started by reaching out cold to potential scientific advisors, including Dr. Wesley Smith and Dr. Chris Napier, one of the leading researchers in running. This led to connecting with Peter Ruppe, a footwear exec with nearly three decades at Nike who also led footwear for Under Armour and Columbia.

“When Ruppe joined [as co-founder], things became real,” says Metser. “Since then, we’ve leveraged our network to attract exceptional talent whenever needed.”

The snowball effect of talent acquisition has been one of Avelo’s greatest strengths. “Great people are drawn to big ideas and hard problems, and want to work with other great talent,” Metser explains. “Of all we’ve accomplished since we started, assembling this team is what we’re most proud of.”

Putting one foot in front of the other

The journey hasn’t been without significant challenges — hardware issues, team changes, footwear samples not meeting expectations, and plenty of investor rejections.

So, how did they push through?

“It sounds cliche but the solution every time has been to just. keep. going,” Metser says. “I’d be lying if I said some roadblocks didn’t leave me stressed or down, but our team consistently put one foot in front of the other, took action, and controlled what we could.”

The shoes have been put through rigorous wear testing.

“We talk as a team about the importance of being resilient and getting comfortable with things being hard. Building a company and new product, especially like ours, is supposed to be difficult. If it were easy, it would already exist.”

Inside the Avelo Supertrainer

So what exactly makes the Avelo shoe unique? Metser describes it as a premium “Supertrainer.”

“The Avelo Supertrainer is a training Swiss army knife. It’s cushioned enough for easy or long miles, snappy enough for tempos or intervals, and fast enough for race day. It’s versatile, high-energy return, lightweight, and super comfortable,” he explains.

Sensors are integrated into the Supertrainer’s midsole.

The technical specs are impressive: TPEE foam (common in high-end racing shoes) paired with a PEBA plate for added bounce, propulsion, and stability. With a stack height of 36mm in the heel and 28mm forefoot (8mm drop), the shoe weighs approximately 8oz for a Men’s size 9.

Aesthetically, the shoe embodies efficiency – “Only what you need, nothing you don’t,” as Metser puts it. “Imagine if Porsche or Apple designed a running shoe. Sleek and beautiful, but not loud.”

Smart technology that coaches every step

What truly sets Avelo apart is its embedded technology. Integrated into the midsole, the sensors require no charging and measure impact and running form to provide three key metrics:

• Resiliency Score: Similar to a Whoop Recovery or Oura Readiness score but specifically designed for runners, factoring in mechanical load from every step
• Efficiency Score: Helps optimize performance
• Form Radar: Identifies your unique running signature and alerts you to form deviations that could lead to issues

Avelo’s tech measures impact and running form.

These metrics power personalized coaching, delivered both in real-time via audio during runs and through post-run analysis. The system provides daily and weekly mileage recommendations, workout suggestions, form coaching, and eventually full training plans tailored to individual goals.

Looking ahead

For Metser and the Avelo team, things are only just getting started. “Our vision is to build the next great running brand,” he says, with a team now boasting over 150 years of collective footwear experience, including legendary Nike designers Aaron Cooper and David Bond.

Avelo is aiming to become the next great running brand.

Early feedback from wear testers has exceeded expectations, suggesting Avelo isn’t just delivering innovative tech – it’s delivering a premium product that competes with established brands on fundamental performance while adding smart capabilities.

By solving the challenges Metser himself faced – injury cycles, training plateaus, and the quest for improved performance – Avelo aims to help every athlete run faster, stronger, and more resiliently.

Avelo is launching in May. Join the waitlist for early access at avelorunning.com.