Yes, really, Smart Shoes, which have just been proposed by EasyJet of all people, and prototypes demonstrated on the streets of Barcelona.
The Easy Jet smart shoe is connected to an app on your smart phone using bluetooth, and the idea is that when you visit a new city, you use your phone to enter the destination you wish to walk to and the phone uses its GPS to work out the route. But instead of having to look at the screen for directions, the app talks to your trainers. The left smart shoe vibrates when you need to turn left, the right shoe vibrates when you need to turn right, and both vibrate together when you've missed a turning. Good luck getting those past airport security.
This is not the first smart shoe. Different types of smart shoe already exist or are in development. Already available are smart shoes which include pressure sensors to monitor how you walk, and display the information via bluetooth and a smartphone app. They carry a hefty price tag and are aimed at professional athletes, but are increasingly entering the high-end consumer market. There are also smart shoes for kids, which have GPS sensors in the heel so that parents can keep track of their wherabouts on a smart phone.
In the world of fashion, colour-changing smart shoes are likely to cost upwards of $200 per pair for trainers and $600 or more for ladies styles. They use electronic paper and e-ink in the upper portions of the shoe, and allow colours and patterns to be programmed via a smart phone:
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