Apple Health sync is the foundation of Shoe Health. Instead of logging runs by hand, the app reads the running workouts that already land in Apple Health — recorded on an Apple Watch, on your iPhone, or by a third-party running app — and lets you attribute each one to the pair of shoes you wore. From there, every shoe builds its own mileage and wear automatically.
What it does
- Imports your running workouts from Apple Health, so completed runs flow in on their own.
- Attributes each run to a pair you choose, which is what builds accurate per-shoe mileage.
- Reads only what it needs: running workouts, walking + running distance, step count, heart rate (display only), and running power (optional).
An Apple Watch is not required — Shoe Health works with any running workout that reaches Apple Health, whatever recorded it.
How it works
There are two steps, and it helps to keep them distinct:
- Import is automatic. Grant Health access in iPhone Settings → Health → Data Access & Devices → Shoe Health (Workouts and Distance are the key permissions), and new runs appear in the app.
- Assignment is a quick tap. You tell the app which pair you wore. Set a default shoe and you can assign a new run straight from the notification — no need to open the app.
For a full, step-by-step walkthrough, see the guide on tracking shoe mileage with Apple Health.
Why it matters
Manual mileage logs fail for one reason: consistency. Miss a few runs and the totals drift, and a pair you think is fresh has quietly done hundreds of kilometres. Shoe Health builds on data you already record — you just assign each run to a pair, with no distances to write down — which keeps every pair’s mileage accurate and makes wear and retirement estimates trustworthy.
Good to know
Your Apple Health data is processed on your device and is never written to a database or sent to a third-party server — see privacy and iCloud sync for the details.