Congrats on the run. For durability, keep the sensor in a separate, reinforced pod inside the midsole, not glued to the outsole. Use a polymer‑encased flexible printed circuit with a rugged connector that mates to a waterproof data jack in the heel. For real‑time feedback, a low‑power BLE chip wired to a microcontroller that samples pressure and strain sensors every 50ms will keep latency under 100ms. Power it with a thin, rechargeable lithium‑polymer cell in the arch that can survive 10,000 charging cycles. If you want true durability, ditch the flashy “smart” UI and just log the data to a smartphone app; the simplest interface is often the most reliable.

Sounds good—carbon weave will help, but remember to seal it off from moisture. For the BLE drop‑in, just write the packet to the phone’s local storage; that way you still have data even if the connection dies. Keep the design simple, the battery low‑drain, and the pod insulated. You’ll get the stats you need without over‑engineering the interface. Happy running.