NURVV - Run Insole Activity Tracker GPS (Small) (US Women's 7-8/Men's 6-7) - Gray

THE BREAKDOWN: If you love tech like I do this product will really round out your arsenal. I am a part-time runner and have ran a marathon and several mini/half marathons. I have gadgets galore! When this product became available I was looking forward to testing this one out. What is Nurvv insole trackers? Well, Nurvv’s smart insoles are suppose to help you run more efficiently and make it easier to monitor your running health. Some of these metrics that are tracked are: Cadence (steps per min), Step Length (distance between each foot strike), Footstrike (forefoot, mid or heal), pronation and balance. Some of the other stats you get are pace, distance and route map. Nurvv keeps track of your runs and uses the data to give you Running Health (more on that later). The insoles have a left and right each with 16 precision pressure sensors. These sensors capture information at the rate of 1,000 times per second with pressure mapping where foot touches the ground. The tracking units themselves (this is where the GPS and Bluetooth are) clip onto the out lip of your shoe. It attaches with a metal hook and some Velcro. The weight of the trackers add around 22g each and the insoles which total around 70g per shoe. The trackers themselves are IPX7 rated. From my testing the insoles themselves survived through 40+ miles over 2 weeks and a few of those runs where in the rain and I felt as if the rain had no effect on the insoles or trackers. The insoles I felt were a little difficult to fit into my shoes. I also want to note that over time the clip that hold the trackers on the side of the shoe kept getting harder and harder to fit. The reason was because the metal clip expanded and it doesn’t go back either, I ended up using the extra rubber pieces that came in the package. The trackers were also a little difficult to place on holder and get off. Both trackers have power buttons on the inside and I personally thought that it was difficult to turn on when the tracker was mounted on the shoe clip. The initial setup was fairly easy, you just follow the instructions on your phone and is pretty straight forward. Once the app is up and running it takes 30 seconds or so to prepare before you can run. So, if your inpatient like me this will be irritating. If you have lots of running gear like I do you get used to certain features such as heart rate. Well, with this there is no heart rate connectivity with that said there is no heart rate zone training. While running you get you can see your foot strike and cadence and after you finish a mile you get your splits. Running health/ training load score monitors your load over time. It then gives the recommended mileage for the next seven days so as to minimize your injury risk. One last note is the battery life is as promised, right at 5 hours. PRO’s: -Indoor Tracking mode -Phone-free tracking -Shares data with garmin and apple devices -Save poling rate, key binds and up to 5 CPI’s directly on the mouse -Customizable lighting -IP67 rated construction -Bluetooth connectivity CON’s: -Soles were difficult to fit properly -No heart rate -Short battery life -Hight cost SUMMARY: Overall, I love new tech and I would recommend this to a friend if they are in the market for device like this.

After using this, be ready for an overload of information about your running technique with those new trackers. You will add metrics about your cadence, step length, pronation, balance, and footstrike that before were out of sight or just reserved to specialty shoe shops or athletic laboratories. Putting perspective to my comments: I love to run and I already use technology while running: gps, distance, pace, heartbeat with my several garmin devices. I am not trying to beat any record but I intend to keep myself in good shape and avoid injuries. I am definitively not a professional athlete or an Olympic runner but an almost 50 y-o guy that enjoys running and each year does a couple of Marathons (in the 4 hrs range) and some half marathons. My first impression: for a new shopper, those trackers are better once at home, or in your shoes, than the sense you could have from shopping around and doing your research on the web before purchase. I imagine, for such high-value investment, you are going to do some research and I found that the overview of features in the manufacturer web has a too high learning curve that difficult your educated purchase. While the information is overwhelming (hours of videos) the summary description of key features that could do the difference for a potential quick purchasing decision is lacking. The most relevant: 1.- Size: Perhaps the most important decision before you do the purchase, in my case because I am a 10.5, between two sizes, I was hesitant about the right size/model to buy. As a runner, you know also that depending on the model and brand the size of your shoe insole could vary. I don't need to stress how important is the perfect fit when you plan to run for 4 hrs. Most of the time, for orthopedic running insoles you tailor them to your shoe but in this case, you don't tailor the insole by cutting down the excess you should go with the size of the shoe and if you are between sizes go for the smaller. 2.- Weight: no worries you are adding 5 oz (x2) to your favorite running shoes and this is negligible. In some cases, by changing the model in the same brand you are already adding more weight than that. 3.- Overall Fit for insoles: The NURVV insoles are introduced in your shoe between the shoe and your regular insole. This is a key element that explains why you don't need to fit exactly the size and why you can still run with your regular insoles (or your orthopedic models if you have one). 4.- Overall Fit for the trackers: they go placed on the external sidewall of your running shoes and secured in the inner wall by a clip. No matter what is your footstrike you will not sense at all that they are there. Overall I can confirm that more than 50 miles later installed in my running shoes I didn't notice them and I had not a single blister or mark produced by the NURVV. In your box, you will receive the charging cable, the insoles, and the trackers, what I found missing is a basic starting setup manual "How to.." guide. This process would be easier if the manufacturer decides to include one. Until that is happening, I will recommend the new user follow the basic steps in this order (that will save you some valuable time that I spent): download the app before you activate your trackers, create your user account, activate the trackers to be recognized by your Bluetooth and, connected to the power cable, proceed with the last firmware update (could not make sense, while the trackers would already be fully charged but this is the defined procedure for a correct software update) only after doing it you could proceed with installing the insoles and the trackers in your running shoes because after activation they will be able to link to the GPS and to your phone at the same time. Installing the insoles is really easy and will not take more than5 minutes per shoe. Most probably you will install it in your dedicated running shoes so you don't need to move from one to the other, but if this is the case that will not be a complicated process. Once installed the rest is just running and data gathering. You need to run up to three times to have most of your complex statistics, individual runs just produce basic reports on Cadence, step length, pronation, food strike, training load, and calories. Some feedback after 8 runs: 1.- The Battery up to now has a life of 4 hrs 30 m without recharging. This is good for most of the runs, including a full marathon. 2.- The insoles use an ANT+ technology that makes them easy to link with your other devices, like your garmin watch. 3.- You can run with or without a phone. I found however that launching the run start from the phone gives you better visibility than doing it from the tracker itself. 4.- It will not be evident until 2 or 3 runs but the lights in the trackers are key to understand the level of connectivity to your phone (Bluetooth) and to the gps. At least three different combinations of colors and intermittency are describing multiple errors and dis-adjustments. I wish that the app could serve to report it using basic English. 5.- It will take some time to dig in the data and see the potential use of it. Due to Covid, I only have been able to run in out of season mode so most of the reports are pointing about bad cadence and low training load, while is true in my case, I am not sure how the reference values will change over the time and for a data geek like me, this is exciting. 6.- Once your run is over, the trackers turn-off automatically. Finally, the app. Easy to access and install, I never had any single problem or malfunction. I think that is great, notably for reporting, presenting, and understanding your data and training. I think however that due to some limited functions during the race, it will probably make you (as to me) to use this one at the same time that you use other more elaborated running app. I like to have regular reporting about my pace and speed and this app only report distance. I like also the possibility to tailor my reporting, the recurrence of notifications, or the time for a delaying start, currently the app only allows you to select units of measurement (metric or imperial) and gives you 3 sec. as delay start. No integration between the app and your music reader. As I said before this is a great investment if you are a curious runner that uses technology to protect against injuries and or look to improve his/her running skills. The product is better than what could be perceived in first research and the investment is worth it. I hope the manufacturer considers to invest some time and money in developing forward the app and helping the new buyers with more easy key info availability like more detailed specs on the web.

Probably the single coolest running tech I’ve ever used! It’s so intuitive and quickly learns your running style and foot pattern to coach you for what’s best for you. I can’t feel the souls at all and they were really easy to insert. The only small complaint I have is that sometimes I use my running shoes when I’m not running and I did want to remove the soles so the clips on the side wouldn’t get damaged. But I imagine really serious runners have other shoes for their on the go moments! I’m just lazy and keep them on after a run. Great product

Keep in mind that this is version 1, so they're bound to improve by the second or third iteration. The concept is fantastic, but there are too many quirks for the price. Battery Life: Unless you remember to charge your trackers after every run, you'll be disappointed to discover that the batteries are completely drained when you go for a run the next morning. I *think* this can be resolved with a firmware update, but I would've expected the batteries to last a few days before needing their first charge. It also seems odd to me that there isn't a mechanism to power on the trackers when they're first connected to the sensors. This also seems like a basic feature that was overlooked along with an auto-sleep function. Accuracy: Pace and distance are useless and inaccurate for treadmill runners, but you're probably not purchasing these for those specific metrics so this is forgivable. Given the pandemic situation, I haven't put these trackers through their paces outdoors yet, but will update my review when I do. Comfort: The sensors are so thin and flexible that they shouldn't be noticeable in my shoe -- but they are. My shoes are a little less comfortable and a little less breathable with the sensors under my insoles. I've had a couple of occasions where the sensors shifted during a run and it was annoying enough that I stopped to reseat the sensor and insole before continuing with my run. The Good Stuff: It wasn't until about a week into using the trackers that the statistics/data first appeared. I went from completely frustrated and ready to ditch the trackers, to 'hey, this is kinda cool'. It'll take a little while longer (i.e. at least a few months of data) before there's enough to support the sensor/app's analysis (in my opinion), but I was totally engrossed in the stats and advice offered by the app once it started displaying data. The stats on pronation/balance have held steady for a few days so I'm inclined to believe the accuracy. Only time will tell if these really help me become a better runner, but the detail provided by the sensors make up for all the annoyances listed (battery life, indoor running, comfort). If you're an early adopter and a data junkie -- then these are worth a shot. If you're not willing to deal with the issues that accompany most first-generation products, then hold off on this purchase.

Have you got the nurvv to run. . . get it? Ha. Ok, so the NURVV are a pair of insoles (undersoles?) that go in your shoe, under your regular insole to capture data about your run. They are insole shaped with a tab that folds up to peek up on the side of your shoe. You then attached a rechargable module to it which then syncs up to your phone. Whew - a lot of moving parts. Based on the sensors, this should be able to give you info on pressure that different parts of your feet put down. Assuming there's a gyro or accelerometer in the battery unit, they can pick up a fuller picture to give you cadence. Installing the app provided more details and alerted me to some welcome news - I don't need to take my phone with me for this to actually monitor my run. So, after getting these in my shoes - and I had to use my running shoes as my usual workout pair didn't have easily removeable insoles, I went for a run by pressing the button on the clip on unit and also tracking the run on my garmin smartwatch. The garmin integration requires setting things up ahead of time such that garmin will share data with nurvv. After the run, both trackers sync up to their respective services and then you can start looking at the NURVV analytics. Regarding the runs, while the NURVV did not materially affect my comfort or clang against my ankle like I first anticipated, I'm not exactly a perfect runner so had one instance where one clip scraped along a fence when I got too close. Just something to keep in mind, you have one more thing hanging off your body and I'm not sure how much abuse it can take over the long term. Anyway, the visuals looked pretty cool. There's a lot of metrics to view, some that I've not heard of previously or used with my existing sports tracker apps. As a result, I can't really speak to how useful they will be. Perhaps full time runners already know this but I'm more of a jog 5k as part of my weight training routine kind of guy. I do want to improve my running, but it's not my primary workout focus. The parts I found useful were the running health and foot strike/balance metrics and visuals. Injury, or rather avoiding injury has grown in the past few years as a focus for me. Having an app that can analyze my workout and provide hints or guidance in ways I can improve to minimize injury. I feel that while the cadence and foot position data is helpful, it would be better to have that in realtime. If you take your phone on the run, it provides some cadence and step length hints but unfortunately, it doesn't appear the foot strike is realtime. What would be better is if they had a watch widget that could provide the same info (and the missing hints). I have a GPS smartwatch so I don't need to take my phone on runs! I think this is a cool addition to fitness tracking. It has the issue of not being as unobtrusive as a watch and just requires a lot more planning to use for someone who is more of a casual runner. The app is done well and is easy to use. I like the garmin integration - they just need to take it to the next level with a watch widget.

The NURVV run trackers are impressive, specialized new tech designed for serious runners, or those that wish to be. I have a military background and have been an avid runner since those days. I was excited to test this tech out when given the opportunity. It turned into a bit of an adventure, but the company’s FANTASTIC customer service really shone throughout my experience. This is going to be long due to some issues I had, so if you want to read the review of the device itself feel free to skip down. The first set I received had some issues. I couldn’t get them to connect, the trackers wouldn’t shut down when I wasn’t running, it wouldn’t record runs for more than 2 minutes without stopping, etc. I kept getting an error code that I couldn’t find an explanation for as well. It was obvious after an hour or so of trying everything I could think of that they weren’t operating as expected. The website is detailed, but unfortunately the FAQ was a bit lacking if you have an issue. An ‘error code guide’ would have been very helpful for me to at least understand what the code meant. Since I couldn’t find any information on how to fix the issues, I reached out to NURVV through the ‘contact us’ information on their website. I didn’t hear anything for a couple of days, so I reached out again and got a response the second time—then realized their first response was relegated to my spam folder. They responded within a few hours each time-- I just didn’t know the first time. The staff member that reached out via e-mail set up a ZOOM call with me. We went through the testing process together for a bit and figured out they weren’t operating correctly. She arranged to have a new set sent to me immediately. The company e-mailed me a shipping label to send the original set back. I received the new set but there was an issue with it right out of the box (a small part had obviously been damaged in shipping), so they sent another. Throughout the entire experience two staff members were in constant touch with me via e-mail. Everything they sent came very quickly (typically within two days), and the follow-up for each delivery and on every e-mail sent was great. The company managed to turn an experience that could have been very negative into a positive one through their exemplary customer service. My frustration at not being able to use the device was very much curbed by how hard they worked to make it better. I’m happy to report the third set works as intended. These are extremely sophisticated run-tracking systems, that use sensors in your shoes (placed under your insole) to measure in-depth aspects of individual runs and running technique. Review of the working device starts here: The installation is not overly difficult, though one constant issue I found throughout trying to install and use these devices is that NURVV seems to take the attitude that everyone that uses them will be tech-savvy and won’t want much of a guide. This seems especially true of written guides, since every guide in the app is a video link (that I had to continuously pause to keep up with, and occasionally rewind if it got too far ahead). This was frustrating when running into an issue, since there wasn’t really a ‘trouble-shooting guide’. They obviously had prepared for errors since I kept getting a numbered error message. A guide to those errors (and how to address them) would have been nice to see, at least on the website. One suggestion I would add is a ‘what to expect the first time you use this device’ video (since that’s the guide of choice)—with new tech it’s hard to say what is correct, how long connecting should take, etc. It was confusing hitting points like ‘connecting to GPS’. You’ll likely get the more constant ‘can’t connect to GPS’ ….that message just goes away once it does connect---the way it’s worded it seems like the system isn’t working, and if you’re not patient you’ll assume it’s broken, which is extremely frustrating. The ‘help and support’ area inside the app is extremely limited in the information it has at the moment. It’s good to keep in mind that this is very new tech, and the company is constantly updating their website, firmware and software (there have been a few updates in the two months that I first started testing these) so these are all things that can be corrected. Also, there is nothing that indicates it's set to the metric system when you start (the company is headquartered in England) so that can be confusing at first. Once you have a comfortable understanding of pairing the trackers, checking the trackers, making sure the GPS is synching, etc then you’ll love the amount of information available to you after just a few runs. The device will constantly synch runs, compare to previous runs and give you up-to-the-minute data on foot strike, stride length, pronation, etc. It’s almost over-whelming how much information you can get. A nice part of the system is the constant articles about how to address possible issues (over-pronation, pacing issues, etc) that are available to you through the website. There is a constant ‘7 day summary’ available as soon as you open the app, and a ‘running health score’ and ‘training load’ available after the first 7 or so runs, or once the app feels like it has enough information to run a true evaluation. There are settings for both indoor and outdoor running and both seem to work well. Of all the settings and information, the “create a performance run” setting is especially cool. You can choose a past run and use that as your base, and then have the app set a pace that is harder (or easier) than the run you chose. It focuses on stride length and helping you improve overall. It is a really nifty addition to the program, and I found it very helpful. If you are in the market for a device like this, particularly at this price point, then you’re likely already a serious runner or want to become one. This device will help you improve your performance but expect some frustrations along the way learning the lingo and technology. Be secure that NURVV’s outstanding customer service will be there to help should you hit anything you simply can’t figure out.

I’ve never thought that fitness trackers were all that useful. You get a ton of data but, other than to say, I’ve ran 20 miles this week, I didn’t see a great use in the information provided. That is 100% different with Nurvv. This tracker is like nothing I’ve seen before. The data collected provides some of the most useful insight about running form, technique and ability that I’ve ever seen. I’m very impressed with how well the trackers work and how helpful the app is in making me a better runner and improving my health. From the start, wearing the nurvv insoles is way more comfortable than I though. I couldn’t really tell that I had them on. I thought the battery hanging off my shoe would be annoying but, I really didn’t notice it. They were easy to slide in the shoe and have some adhesive to keep them in place. I’m not sure how great they would stay in place but, the tacky bottom keeps them pretty well in place. The battery snaps on and off so you don’t have to take them out of your shoe everytime you need to recharge and let’s you still wear the shoe while they are charging. Using the tracker is pretty easy, you can either start a run in the app or click the button on the battery pack to start a run if you don’t want to carry your phone. Either way, the Nurvv will start tracking all kinds of data about your run. How your foot strikes on each stride, how quick your cadence is, and uses all the data to determine how good your technique is, how healthy you are running and let’s you view all the data in app. But, the app doesn’t just show you the info, it provides coaching advise to improve your technique, analyzing you running health and give you workouts to do all of this. I really liked the live workouts that coached you through improving the run I was on and the graphs that showed me how to change my technique to improve health and run faster. If you’re a big runner and want something to give you a little extra coaching and really nail down technique, these insoles are really something that might be helpful.

I like to go for jogs and this product works great. Setup was super easy and there are helpful videos to walk you through the process. The trackers came with enough charge for the initial setup and pairing with the app. All you have to do is remove your current insole, place this one in and put your original back in. The tracker clip just goes on the side of your shoe and you pop the tracker onto it. The charging cradle allows both trackers to charge at the same time. Fully charged, it says have close to 5 hours of runtime. All you do is open the app, hold in the power button on each tracker, wait a few seconds for everything to pair, and click on 'Run' in the app. The app gives you real-time time, distance and pace information. Once you are done with your run the app gives you a summary of the results. You will need to do at least three runs to start getting health feedback. The information it provides will be super useful the next time I go to buy running shoes. The health summary will tell you how your feet are impacting and give recommendations for the type of shoes based upon your individual strides. It also paired easily as an ANT+ devices with my Garmin Finex 6 Pro watch. I don't plan to go on runs without and if you are a runner you will not regret the purchase.