Power efficient e-paper displays were popularised by the Kindle, but they’ve also been used as a second screen for smartphones and the basis of the first popular smartwatch. Now, a new company called ShiftWear is pioneering another awesome use for e-paper technology: smart trainers.
ShiftWear shoes use a flexible e-paper display to display a black-and-white image that wraps around the bulk of the shoe. You can choose whatever image you like to fit the space, and there’s even the possibility to use animations instead at the cost of battery life. You select and transmit images to your shoes using a smartphone app, so you can change how your kicks look even when you’re on the move. Typical battery life for static images is on the same level as a Kindle; around 30 days.
The campaign has already reached its meagre funding goal of $25,000 and then some, sitting at nearly $75,000 with 22 days of funding to go (at the time this article was published). The next goals are for mass production at $250K, $1M for a colour display and $2M for advanced charging options including walk-to-charge and wireless charging.
The campaign includes options for low, medium and high-top shoes, available in a range of colours. The shoes are waterproof (so you can machine wash them) and use Kevlar for durability. It costs $150 plus shipping for an entry-level pair of ShiftWear trainers, all the way up to a $1,000 limited edition model which uses the entire shoe as a display. The creators estimate a delivery date of autumn 2016, but don’t be surprised if that slips a bit.
What do you think of the ShiftWear e-paper trainers? Let us know in the comments below. (We think they’re pretty cool, but whether or not they turn out as promised is another matter altogether… and it’s always a bit of a risk to buy shoes online, without seeing how well they fit or how good they feel. I guess we’ll see how it turns out!)