Systems for improving blood circulation

A system for improving blood circulation, the system comprising a control unit comprising a processor and at least one article of footwear, wherein one or more of the at least one articles of footwear together or alone comprise:

• one or more actuators coupled to and controlled by the control unit;
• wherein the control unit further comprises of a control module, a power supply module, and an analysis module, the control unit configured such that the entire control unit is embedded into the at least one article of footwear;
• one or more electrically-conductive paths;
• and
• one or more sensors integrated into the at least one article of footwear and coupled to the processor, for providing measurement signals to the control unit;
• the power module for supplying electrical power to the one or more sensors by means of the one or more electrically-conductive paths;
• wherein the analysis module is configured to identify the high stress points from the measurement signals received from the one or more sensors, and
• wherein the one or more actuators comprise one or more motors configured to provide a vibration/massage function comprising a tailored massage localised to an area of the sole of a user comprising high stress points identified by the analysis module;
• and
• the at least one article of footwear is configured to incorporate a platform embedded in the at least one article of footwear to facilitate connecting the user to at least one other device, wherein the platform is further configured to enable communication with a medical practitioner and/or health service.