This Digital Sneaker Concept Lets You Upload Designs From Your Phone

Using the same technology that's used in e-readers, ShiftWear hopes to makes changing the design on your sneakers as easy as switching your phone's wallpaper. The New York-based startup recently took their concept to Indiegogo where they’ve already raised nearly four times their $25,000 goal.

At first glance, the ShiftWear shoes resemble an ordinary pair of basketball sneakers. Once you connect them wirelessly to a companion app, the flexible e-paper exterior can be brought to life with graphics and animations designed by different artists, or even by the wearers themselves. The company hopes to eventually inspire a mobile marketplace where designers can sell and share their art pieces with one another.

The shoes would charge wirelessly with every step taken, so having to plug in your sneaker after taking a short stroll wouldn’t be an issue. The waterproof materials make them suitable for unexpected weather, and they’re even durable enough to be machine washed. Despite the high-tech features, the ShiftWear shoes fall into about the same price range as a classic pair of designer sneakers. Backers can pledge $150, $250, or $350 to preorder one of the three designs with shipments expected for fall of 2016.

[h/t: The Verge]