A new shoe has arrived from "RUNWALK," a business shoe that combines functionality and beauty. It's the "RUNWALK ORPHE," a smart shoe jointly developed by ASICS and ORPHE. By attaching the included small sensor "ORPHE CORE 3.0," which can detect and analyze gait (characteristics of walking), to the shoe, you can visualize the state of your mind and body through an app.

In this project, we explored the potential of "RUNWALK ORPHE," a product that combines the knowledge cultivated over many years by the ASICS Institute of Sport Science with advanced sensing technology. We conducted a dialogue between Toshiro Hirose, former Japan national rugby team player and CEO of HiRAKU Co., Ltd., and Yuya Kikukawa of ORPHE Co., Ltd., who developed the small sensor "ORPHE CORE 3.0." They spoke about the features of "RUNWALK ORPHE," the meaning and value of visualizing "walking," and the importance of harmonizing mind and body through "walking."

There is a correlation between walking style and emotions.

Kikukawa: Hi Hirose-san! It's been a while.

Hirose: It's been a while. This is my first time visiting Kikukawa's company, isn't it?

Kikukawa: Let's get straight to it. First, I'd like Hirose-san to try on these "RUNWALK ORPHE" shoes. ...What do you think?

Hirose: I wear "RUNWALK" shoes regularly, so it doesn't feel strange at all. They're as comfortable as ever (laughs). I don't even notice the sensors attached. I think it helps that "RUNWALK" shoes are lighter than typical leather shoes to begin with, but these feel even lighter than I expected.

Kikukawa: When you actually walk, we can immediately measure your gait. The unique feature of "RUNWALK ORPHE" is that it can collect various data such as changes in walking speed and stride length just by walking normally.

Hirose: Ah, I see. It's really interesting to see my own walking style visualized.

Kikukawa: Quantifying each piece of data, such as stride length, speed, impact upon landing, and the height the leg is lifted, is called "gait analysis." Incidentally, gait analysis has a history of developing in the fields of physical therapy and medicine, and then being applied to the sports field. In sports, it's become commonplace to collect and analyze data such as the movements and heart rate of athletes.

Hirose: In recent years, wearable GPS devices and heart rate monitors have made it possible to view your own condition in real time as data. This allows you to view yourself objectively, and athletes can calmly reflect on their training and matches. It also makes it easier to visualize what you should do next as a goal. With "RUNWALK ORPHE," anyone can easily understand their own condition through the simple action of walking, which is great.

Kikukawa: That's right. This time, targeting business people, we developed sensors and an app based on the concept of "improving mental and physical well-being" through walking.

Hirose: So, if you want to work at a high level, it's not just your body that matters, but your mind as well. Walking around in these shoes right now, I'm reminded that walking is like a mirror that reflects the state of your mind and body.

Kikukawa: That's right. For example, the degree of variation in stride length is subtly different when you're "thinking" compared to when you're "walking with concentration," and it's said that if you're angry or anxious, you tend to walk faster. In other words, there's a correlation between emotional state and walking. Conversely, by visualizing how you walk, you can also visualize your mental state.

Hirose: So, changing your walking speed can make you feel more positive...?

Kikukawa: I think that's true to some extent. Theoretically, if you walk cheerfully, your mood will also become cheerful. That's the interesting thing about walking—you can see such correlations. For example, you can tell a person's physical condition from their blood pressure, but that doesn't mean they can immediately change their blood pressure themselves. But you can change the way you walk depending on your awareness. If you can understand your own condition through walking, then you have the potential to actively change yourself through walking.

Hirose: That's interesting. I think it's entirely possible, from my own experience, that changing the way you walk can really lift your spirits. If you want to feel better, instead of forcing yourself to try all sorts of things, all you have to do is simply be a little more conscious of the way you walk. That's a pretty easy way to do it, isn't it?

Walking = an easy sauna experience!?

Kikukawa: The data collected by walking with "RUNWALK ORPHE" can be visualized using a dedicated app called "ASICS ORPHE WALK." (Kikukawa shows Hirose a prototype screen of the app)

Hirose: Oh, I see. The design motif for the app is "water," right?

Kikukawa: That's right. Based on the gait analysis, it displays simple advice such as "lift your leg a little higher" or "increase your tempo," and when you change your walking style accordingly, water fills up on the screen. The more water there is, the more fulfilling your day will be, that's the idea.

Hirose: I think it's a very good visual way of communicating with users. When I was captain during my playing days, I often had opportunities to give advice to other players. But when one person gives advice to another, ego can sometimes get involved, like "I want to do this" or "I want you to be like this." But in terms of objectively understanding the situation, I think advice from an app like this is very effective. On the other hand, it's also good that they've used water as a motif to prevent the advice from looking mechanical and impersonal. By the way, are people who would try "RUNWALK ORPHE" mainly people who are interested in exercise and activities?

Kikukawa: Saunas have become popular among businessmen recently, haven't they? You sweat, you relax, and I think it's a great activity. But I think walking has almost the same effect as a sauna. When you exercise, your sympathetic nervous system becomes dominant, and when you relax, your parasympathetic nervous system becomes dominant. After that up and down, when you start work, you can concentrate right away. With a sauna, you have to take off your clothes and it takes a certain amount of time. But with walking, you can do it "while doing other things" during your commute.

Hirose: It might be interesting to promote the benefits of walking as something like a "convenient sauna." I think businessmen who have probably noticed similar effects are already taking actions like walking one station's distance home or setting aside time to walk at some point during the day. I've also been seeing a lot more people taking morning walks lately.

Kikukawa: If you're thinking of incorporating walking into your commute or work routine, I recommend the "RUNWALK ORPHE" business shoe type. You don't need to bother changing into walking shoes.

Hirose: In that case, it's something I can recommend to people who don't usually exercise actively. There are quite a few people who think, "I should do some exercise," but don't actually do it.

Kikukawa: We deliberately avoided images of "competing with others" or "pushing yourself" in the app's visuals, and instead emphasized healing and well-being. Simply sensing things doesn't change people. We focused on how to express and respond to users so that they can change in a positive way. That was also something we considered during app development.

After retiring, I realized that "walking speed is just right."

Kikukawa: By the way, Hirose, do you usually walk a lot?

Hirose: I consciously try to walk more. If it's about a 20-minute walk to the station, I'll definitely walk, and when I'm traveling, I prefer using the stairs rather than escalators or elevators.

Kikukawa: Did you walk a lot when you were still playing?

Hirose: No, when I was still playing, I didn't walk much because of fatigue levels. After all, performing well in practice and matches is the most important thing.

Kikukawa: That just goes to show how demanding rugby is as a sport.

Hirose: But, as we were just discussing, thanks to sensing devices that allow athletes to objectively understand their own exercise data, they can now appropriately control the quantity and quality of their training, which has reduced injuries and extended their careers as athletes. This is also thanks to Eddie Jones, who became the head coach of the Japanese national team in 2012.

Kikukawa: Rugby was quick to adopt those kinds of techniques, wasn't it? By the way, Eddie Jones really emphasized "hard work," didn't he? So I get the feeling he collected each player's athletic data and used it as a source to motivate them by saying, "You can do even better!" (laughs).

Hirose: That happens sometimes (laughs). We had a drone to measure the players' movements, and when things got really tough, I sometimes wanted to destroy that drone (laughs). But I can definitely say that this data collection and visualization led to good results, starting with the 2015 World Cup.

Kikukawa: I see. You mentioned that walking became a habit after you retired, but do you think walking is also beneficial for business, Hirose-san?

Hirose: Of course. When you're walking, you don't think about unnecessary things, which is great. For example, when you're brainstorming new projects or ideas, if you're constantly sitting at your desk or in front of your computer, you become too intellectual and end up thinking only in terms of logic. But when you're walking, you can perceive things more naturally, and I feel like it allows for more free thinking.

Kikukawa: It's not exactly a way to change your mood, but I also think that walking definitely increases productivity.

Hirose: Also, purely speaking, walking is just the right pace. There are so many sights you can't see when you're in a car or on a train. When you walk, your perspective on the surrounding scenery broadens, and you make lots of new discoveries. If something catches your eye, you can stop and take a look right away. So, when I go to an unfamiliar city for work, I make sure to walk a lot. It helps me get a feel for the atmosphere of the place and how the locals are, which can sometimes have a positive impact on my business.

Moving your body naturally calms your mind.

Kikukawa: I have something I'd like to ask Hirose-san on this occasion. It's directly related to the concept of "RUNWALK ORPHE," but as a former athlete, what are your thoughts on the meaning and importance of calming one's mind?

Hirose: In sports, if your mental state isn't good, you're more likely to get injured and your performance will suffer. I think that's probably true in other fields as well, including business. On the other hand, I sometimes think that to get your mind in order, it might be better to get your body moving first.

Kikukawa: Ah, that might be true.

Hirose: For example, let's say there's a day when you feel tired and don't want to go for your daily run. But if you just start running without thinking about it, you'll often find that you gradually start to enjoy it. Instead of trying to get motivated and then taking action, you can increase your motivation by taking action. I feel like there's a correlation between mind and body like that.

Kikukawa: That connects directly to what we talked about at the beginning, the correlation between gait and emotion.

Hirose: By walking correctly, your mind naturally becomes more balanced. I think the value of "RUNWALK ORPHE" lies in its ability to clearly visualize that process and its results, which can then be used to maintain motivation and a good physical and mental state.

Kikukawa: I agree completely. Many business people are concerned about their physical health, but mental well-being is also crucial for performing at your best. I hope to convey that message through "RUNWALK ORPHE." I would love for many people to try them out, thinking of them as a "time-saving sauna" that helps them refresh their mind and body during their commute or breaks at work.

*The mask was removed only for the photo shoot.