aiShoes by XiaoAI Technology: The Product Logic Behind a Smart Maternity Shoe That Raised ¥1 Million on JD Crowdfunding in 6 Hours

On October 10, 2015, at 11:00 a.m., Xiaoai Technology’s smart maternity shoes, aiShoes, officially launched their crowdfunding campaign on JD.com.

Objective: Raise RMB 1 million through crowdfunding within 1.5 months.

Results: RMB 1 million raised via crowdfunding in 6 hours.

For Xiaoai Technology—a company that had never previously manufactured footwear and has just launched a line of smart maternity shoes—this constitutes no small miracle.

The smart maternity shoes called aiShoes are the result of a “warm technology” mindset. What is “warm technology”? In the words of Long Ruqian, founder and CEO of Xiaoai Technology, it is “technology that serves human needs and conveys human emotions; technology should serve as the foundation for product development, rather than being pursued for its own sake.”

In September 2015, at the China Product Innovation Summit and Global Maker Crowdfunding Conference, Xiao Ai aiShoes received two prestigious awards: “2015 Innovative Product of the Year” and “Most Investment-Worthy Product of 2015.” Discussing aiShoes, Long Ruqian shared her perspective: “We approach problems from the user’s standpoint, addressing pain points, as the goal of technology is to serve people’s needs. The aiShoes smart maternity shoes are a product that allows pregnant women to appreciate the beauty of technology, while offering a highly thoughtful and user-friendly experience.”

Identifying genuine unmet needs and market gaps

The annual market size for maternity shoes will exceed 8 billion yuan / Pregnant women in the internet era hope to have exclusive smart shoes

Undoubtedly, maternity footwear represents a substantial market. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics’ official website, China’s birth rate in 2014 was 12.37 per thousand. Based on the reported total population of 1.36782 billion in 2014, the annual number of newborns exceeded 16.9 million. With the gradual relaxation of the two-child policy, this figure is projected to continue rising in the coming years. The number of pregnant women is expected to be roughly commensurate with this trend.

Birth Rate in China, 2010–2014

Theoretically, every pregnant woman needs a pair of shoes better suited to her needs. Based on this estimate, the annual market for maternity footwear in China will exceed RMB 8 billion.

However, this market has not yet received sufficient attention. According to VCBeat’s analysis of product categories on Taobao, among 16 top-level categories, 93 second-level categories, and 1,043 subcategories, a dedicated “Maternity Products” category exists but includes only two items: “Maternity Pants/Support Belly Pants” and “Maternity Dresses.” Neither the “Shoes & Bags” nor the “Mother & Baby” categories include a specific item for “Maternity Shoes.”

Taobao Page Screenshot

According to VCBeat, the current market for smart maternity shoes is largely untapped and still in its nascent stage.

Long Ruqian stated that it pained him to see pregnant women in the obstetrics department mostly wearing slippers or clogs. He felt it was unacceptable that a woman, during one of the most challenging periods of her life, could not find a pair of suitable shoes—a plight shared even by his own wife. Consequently, Long Ruqian decided to develop a professional line of smart maternity shoes, leveraging technology to address the specific pain points experienced by pregnant women.

True Product Thinking: What Kind of Shoes Do Pregnant Women Need?

Reduce the risk of falls / Make swollen feet more comfortable / Walk without fatigue while wearing shoes / Should I go for a walk today? / Documenting my pregnancy journey

Why Do Pregnant Women Need a Good Pair of Shoes?

Pregnancy is a physically demanding experience. Data indicate that as pregnant women gain weight, their center of gravity shifts forward. To maintain balance, they often adopt a posture with hands on hips and abdomen protruding, which frequently leads to lower back pain. This condition can also contribute to postpartum disorders such as plantar fasciitis. Physical imbalance may further result in falls, fetal malposition, and even an increased risk of dystocia. While the human foot arch normally helps maintain balance and absorb shock, pregnant women often experience lower extremity edema, leading to acquired flat feet.

Therefore, having a good pair of shoes during pregnancy is crucial for both the pregnant woman and the baby.

Exercise: Should You Walk Every Day, and for How Long?

The most important form of exercise during pregnancy is walking. Long Ruqian believes that pregnant women constitute a special population, and their exercise prescriptions should never follow the same algorithms used for the general public.

To create a pair of professional maternity shoes, Long Ruqian invited Chen Gongli, an obstetrics and gynecology expert from Southwest Hospital, to serve as Chief Medical Officer. Dr. Chen is an attending physician in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Southwest Hospital of the Third Military Medical University, with ten years of experience in clinical practice, teaching, and research in obstetrics and gynecology. As a specialist in multiple pregnancies, he pioneered intrauterine fetal surgery in China.

Long Ruqian stated that, under the guidance of Chen Gongli, Xiaoai Technology dedicated six months to research and development, pioneering a globally first-of-its-kind core algorithm for walking in pregnant women. The algorithm calculates weights based on gestational age, body weight, symptoms, and other relevant data to provide guided recommendations for exercise during pregnancy. Currently, Xiaoai Technology is filing a patent application for this algorithm.

VCBeat learned in an interview that aiShoes’ algorithm is implemented through a combination of software and hardware.

The smart chip in aiShoes is embedded in the tongue of the shoe. It connects via Bluetooth to transmit data such as the distance walked and location of pregnant users to the companion app “Xiao Ai Mommy Helper,” developed by Xiao Ai Technology. The chip offers four core functions: motion sensing, data storage, data analysis, and Bluetooth transmission. Utilizing high-frequency, low-power Bluetooth technology, the chip emits radiation at only 1/1000th that of a mobile phone. A one-hour charge provides up to seven days of standby time. Additionally, the chip is waterproof and dustproof, ensuring reliable performance even in rainy conditions.

Screenshot of the “Xiao Ai Mommy Magic Tool” App

The app calculates an outdoor exercise index for pregnant women, adjusted for external factors such as weather, temperature, wind speed, air quality, and current time in each city, and determines whether the external environment is suitable for outdoor exercise on that day based on the index.

Additionally, the app can collect maternal physical parameters, including height and weight, to calculate the body mass index (BMI) and determine the minimum and maximum exercise levels. By integrating gestational age and pregnancy-related symptoms, it assesses whether exercise is appropriate; if so, it provides daily recommended exercise amounts.

In addition to the smart walking feature, the app provides intelligent reminders to pregnant women based on symptoms corresponding to their gestational week.

Slip Prevention: How to Reduce the Risk of Falls?

Exercise is a matter that requires careful management for pregnant women.

In a widely circulated online article, the following advice is offered to expectant mothers regarding exercise: As long as you are not classified as a high-risk pregnant woman, approximately 30 minutes of moderate physical activity per day is appropriate. “Moderate exercise” here includes walking, swimming, and slow-paced stationary cycling. However, doctors still warn against engaging in “high-risk activities” that could lead to falls or miscarriage, such as basketball and horseback riding.

As can be seen, exercise is essential, but attention must be paid to the associated risks.

Using shoe soles with a higher slip-resistance coefficient can effectively reduce the risk of falls in pregnant women during exercise.

According to data from VCBeat, the primary factors influencing the slip resistance of shoe soles include tread pattern, material, heel design, road surface inclination, and human gait parameters. Factors specifically related to the shoe itself are tread pattern, material, and heel design.

Generally speaking, the outsole tread pattern should ideally feature a large surface area, high density, and numerous wave or zigzag patterns, while the outsole material is best made of rubber. (Cited from the research findings of Professor Luo Xiangdong of Shaanxi University of Science and Technology, as well as Kai Way Li, Chin Jung Chen, et al., in “Main Factors Affecting the Anti-Slip Performance of Shoe Soles”)

According to data provided by Xiaoai Technology, the soles of aiShoes are made from natural rubber and high-elasticity EVA. The natural rubber is soft and offers excellent elasticity, capable of withstanding significant twisting without issue. The EVA provides high toughness, along with superior shock absorption, cushioning, moisture resistance, and water durability. The sole of aiShoes features a pattern of grooves; the dense wave-like texture increases friction, ensuring effective slip resistance.

Xiao Ai "Sunshine Mommy Edition" Maternity Shoes Sole

Additionally, the shoelaces feature a buckle design, making them easier for pregnant women to put on and take off, while eliminating the risk of tripping over loose laces.

The shoes are specifically designed to protect the arch and heel, providing shock absorption and preventing loss of balance caused by inward or outward tilting of the center of gravity when pregnant women experience foot swelling.

Long Ruqian revealed that, to ensure the safety of shoe materials, even the adhesive used in the shoes has undergone hypoallergenic testing and is free of lead and mercury.

Comfort: How to Make Shoes Fit Swollen Feet During Pregnancy?

Pregnant women's feet present a relatively complex condition, characterized by numerous physiological changes. The daily variation in foot circumference (swelling) ranges from 10 to 25 mm, far exceeding the tolerable limits for human feet. Changes in foot shape during pregnancy are limited to variations in girth (width), while foot length varies depending on weight-bearing status (i.e., sitting, standing, and walking). The average change in foot length between sitting and standing positions is approximately 4–7 mm, and between standing and walking positions is approximately 3–6 mm.

This requires making the shoes lighter and more elastic to accommodate the physiological changes in pregnant women's feet. To this end, Xiaoai Technology has enlisted the chief designer of Voite basketball shoes to lead the design of this shoe model.

Taking the “Sunshine Mommy” model of Xiao Ai Smart Maternity Shoes as an example, the upper is crafted from thick sandwich mesh and nano-PU, offering antibacterial properties, breathability, and 5–10 mm of elasticity to accommodate changes in pregnant women’s feet. The insole features memory foam that is soft and sweat-absorbent, with a special arch design to reduce foot pressure. Due to the slow-rebound characteristic of the memory foam insole, it can conform to the uneven plantar contours caused by swelling, providing both massage and cushioning effects.

In addition, the shoes are designed with full consideration of the needs of pregnant women. Among aiShoes’ three models, the lightest weighs only 100g, and the heaviest merely 140g. According to public data collected by VCBeat on the best-selling maternity shoes on Taobao, aiShoes is one of the lightest maternity shoe brands on the market, as shown in the figure below:

Brand	Xiao Ai	Multi-step	Yingbao	Babybright	Laziness
Image
Weight	100g-140g	500g	124g	400g	350g
Upper Material	Nano PU Mesh	Canvas	Imported Canvas	Sanded Cowhide	Top-grain leather
Sole Material	Natural Rubber + High-Elasticity EVA	Rubber	Natural Rubber	Oxford	Wear-Resistant Rubber

To meet the needs of pregnant women at different stages, Xiao Ai has designed three styles of smart maternity shoes for selection: "Fashionable Mom," "Sunny Mom," and "Expert Mom."

One model is designed for women in the first trimester of pregnancy. Since fetal stability is not yet established during this early stage, safety is paramount. It features buckle laces and a secure sole to ensure safety, while also delivering fashion, lightness, and comfort. A second model is tailored for women in the first and second trimesters. As foot swelling tends to be more pronounced during the second trimester, the shoes incorporate elastic materials that allow for flexible expansion, along with anti-slip and shock-absorbing properties. The third model is designed for women in the third trimester. Given the increased body weight and reduced mobility at this stage, these shoes feature a slip-on design accessible from the heel, enabling pregnant women to put them on easily without bending over.

 

Three Smart Maternity Shoes by Xiaoai Technology

Record: How to Make the Ten-Month Pregnancy a Cherished Milestone?

Every expectant mother not only looks forward to the moment her baby is born but also experiences a myriad of subtle emotional journeys. Long Ruqian stated, “Documenting pregnancy stories is not just the mother’s wish, but that of the entire family, as it represents the warmest period before a child’s birth and constitutes the most significant memory for the family.”

Screenshot of the “Xiao Ai Mommy Tool” App

Therefore, the “Xiao Ai Mommy Essential” app provides expectant mothers with a feature to document their pregnancy journey—“Belly Glow Milestones.” Pregnant users can take photos, write entries, select their mood, and share their updates. Each entry is generated as a card and can also be rendered as an H5 page.

What’s more, after the baby is born, Xiaoai Technology will compile the pregnancy records into an exquisite physical photo book free of charge, as a gift to the baby and the family.

Dialogue: How to Make a Pair of Shoes a Gift of Love?

 

Long Ruqian believes that women are emotional creatures who, unlike men, do not focus on data and specifications when using products. Therefore, Xiaoai Technology has designed aiShoes as a loving gift for pregnant women.

The shoebox design of aiShoes is quite distinctive, serving as a concrete manifestation of “warm technology.”

The aiShoes shoebox resembles a large gift box, with a surprise compartment divided into three layers in addition to the space for the shoes. The first layer contains the smart chip and a letter addressed to expectant mothers, signed by the core members of the development team. It also includes an instruction manual presented not as technical specifications, but in an engaging comic-strip format. The second layer holds a thoughtful gift for moms: considering that pregnant women should avoid getting cold, Xiao Ai Technology has specially included a blanket-style scarf to provide warmth anytime, anywhere. The third layer features socks for expectant mothers, adorable baby socks, and spare insoles prepared for them. Each small gift reflects heartfelt love and considerate care.

In addition to the thoughtful design of the shoebox, Xiaoai Technology has specially crafted the UI language for the “Xiaoai Mommy Essential” app, aiming to convey care to pregnant women through these details. The app interface features a predominantly pink color scheme. Long Ruqian stated that because the users are women—and specifically expectant mothers filled with love—they become particularly vulnerable and easily moved during pregnancy. The unique softness associated with the color pink helps pregnant women achieve visual emotional resonance.

In terms of user interaction, the app delivers reminders to expectant mothers using the baby’s linguistic style, with a lively and endearing tone that creates a warm and loving user experience, allowing mothers to engage in interactive bonding with their babies from the very beginning of pregnancy.

During the interview, Long Ruqian received a call from his company’s Chief Marketing Officer, who shared the joyful news that his wife had given birth to a baby boy. Perhaps it is precisely because they have poured their love for family into this smart maternity shoe that they have been able to create such a heartwarming product.