A new pair of kicks is looking to change the way people use sneakers. ShiftWear took to Indiegogo to help raise funds for their prototype "badass sneakers" that uses an e-ink display to make custom designs on the shoes. These are controlled in real time and all it takes is a couple of clicks from the smartphone app that is paired with it.
The shoes are capable of displaying static images but are more than capable of displaying animations as well. The e-ink displays are on the exterior of the shoes and will consume a currently undisclosed amount of power. These are applicable to the animations only and the static images would apparently not consume power.
Speaking of power, the ShiftWear sneakers support wireless charging using a "walk to charge" functionality. This means that each step taken will keep the battery running. A backlight will also be included to help illuminate the design in darker light, Digital Trends reported.
The shoes are also meant to be very durable despite its high-tech display. Its makers are planning to make the display have a battery life of 30 days. It will also be waterproof up to 5 meters. If that is not enough, the sneaks will also be machine washable. Its soles are going to be coated with Kevlar fiber as additional protection from the elements.
The app that will be used to control the designs also have an additional functionality. It is meant to be a marketplace where users can hawk their own shoe designs and be able to download from others as well. It is a fairly straightforward marketing tactic that will be able to generate revenue for both the designer and ShiftWear which would likely demand a cut for every transaction.
The shoes come in lows, mids, and high cut versions. A pledge of $150 gets you a pair of low tops, $250 for the medium one, and $350 for the high cut version. Click here to pledge for your own ShiftWear kicks.
