Wearing LEDs on Your Feet

LEDs are everywhere nowadays, as we discuss time and time again in this very blog. From smartphone coupons to bridge illumination, LEDs do it all. Now, you can add one more thing to that list: clothing and shoes, in particular.

Believe us when we say that LEDs are changing the face of fashion, according to this article in Slash Gear. That pair of blinking sneakers you had as a kid are coming back, because, hey, there’s been a blinking emptiness inside all of us. We need to feel that flash of self-confidence again and sneakers that look like a laser lightshow are the best way to make that a reality. These shoes are called Blinky Shoes.

LED lightingYou might be wondering, what the heck are Blinky Shoes? Brittany Hillen writes, “Blinky Shoes are LED light strips with different colored LEDs and an accelerometer. They attach to one’s existing shoes via Velcro, and have a circuit board and battery pack to control it all. The light strips are also open to customization, and users can program them with their patterns and designs.”

Blinky Shoes seem to be a force of nostalgia and a demonstrator of future technology all in one fell swoop. You have Velcro, which conjures up images of little kids not being able to tie their shoes, but you also have different colored LEDs and an accelerometer to boot. Clearly, Blinky Shoes are banking on our nostalgia for the past and our hopes for the future. Through this, Blinky Shoes and other similar products are taking LED technology to the next level.

Additionally, Blinky Shoes are completely customizable, which means that you can light the world anyway you want. At Illuminations USA, we’re behind that! Will you be getting a pair of Blinky Shoes? We’re thinking about it!