This Insane Technology Can Ensure That You Never Wear the Same Shoes Twice

December 3, 2015

There’s a new shoe technology lighting up the crowdfunding site IndieGoGo and it’s nothing like you’ve ever seen before.

It’s called ShiftWear, and their IndieGoGo campaign has so far raised over $120,000 of their initial $25,000 with 19 days left.

ShiftWear boasts shoes lined with a high definition e-paper that is capable of displaying virtually any image, moving or static, in broad daylight. The screens on the shoes connect to your phone through an app that lets you control the designs that are being displayed.

Even more, the shoes require almost no power to work because it would include technology that generates electricity through walking — enough so that you can even charge your phone from your shoes, according to founder David Coelho via The Daily Dot:

“When the designs being displayed stay static, zero power is actually used.

“A piezoelectric generator in the shoe converts the mechanical strain applied by a person into electrical energy. The energy generated is beyond what the sneaker requires. It’s enough to even charge a cell phone battery.”

The shoes are also designed to be so waterproof that you can throw them in the washing machine to keep them clean.

And they are tough too — the soles are made of kevlar, making them practically impenetrable.

You can snag a pair of on IndieGoGo right now for the early bird price of $150 (they plan retail for about $200).

Sound too good to be true? That’s because, unfortunately, it might be.

The campaign on IndieGoGo, which seems wildly successful, actually requires way more money to make all the technology proposed a reality. The initial $25,000 goal was solely set “move forward with development” and eventually develop a working prototype.

The graphic of a model shows what could be, but that’s just it — a rendered graphic. Although Coelho insists that his team has a tested and working prototype, no actual proof has been shown. He explained:

“We are still aiming to continue raising funding on our website or through IndieGoGo until we reach the $2 million mark.”

The high-def display won’t be possible until the company reaches the $1 million mark. The piezoelectric generator doesn’t come into the frame until they hit the $2 million mark. Their officially stated goal is actually $3 million to add on even more crazy sounding technology. Coelho added:

“The hardware technology has existed for years and the majority of our work involves finessing ShiftWear’s software. The updated software will allow us to tweak the current tech to give us what we need for our application.”

While it doesn’t seem the case, maybe the company can pull it together to fulfill the 100-plus pre-orders that people have laid down their $150 or more for. Until then, the hope of spending your money on futuristic new toys should remain in the shadow of caution.

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