Clothing designers pushing the boundaries of technology is nothing new. From Google Glass eyewear to weather-resistant jackets made from recycled plastic water bottles, technology and fashion design have easily integrated over the years. So much so that you can now buy vibrating shoes that, when connected to your smartphone via Bluetooth, let you feel your music in your feet.
The concept is not all that unusual when you consider the live music experience. If you have ever been to a rock concert, you know that the music is generally so loud that it makes your whole body shake. You can feel a thumping bass all the way down into your feet. Apparently, that’s the point of the vibrating shoes.
Bluetooth at Your Feet
Droplabs is known for designing shoes with technology built in. They introduced their EP 01 vibrating sneakers in the summer of 2020. According to Alternative Press contributor Rachel Dowd, the sneakers have built-in technology that converts digital music into vibrations. The shoes receive music via a Bluetooth connection with another device.
The goal is to capture a song’s bass line and translate it into vibrations so that you can feel it in your feet. When the bass thumps, so do the shoes. The same driving base that carries a song is supposed to give the experience of being at a live concert venue. Whether that is good or bad is up to you.
It’s All About That Bass
Vibrating sneakers that let you feel a driving bass line in your feet don’t seem so unusual in a day and age when it’s all about that bass. Just take a drive on any summer day and leave your windows open. You are bound to encounter other cars with music so loud you can hear it blocks away. In almost every case, the bass will be driving it.
Things weren’t always this way. Back in the eighties, treble was in and bass was out. People loved the higher tones of treble because it gave them a better experience with their stereo systems. After having listened to mono nearly all their lives, stereo gave them an opportunity to finally hear those higher tones.
Somewhere between the late eighties and mid-2000s, we lost the treble and went entirely to bass. We also lost any hope of creating lyrical melody lines that danced all over the scale. Today, most melodies consist of no more than three or four notes. Everything is driven by thumping drums and basses. That being the case, it is no surprise that some consumers would want to feel their music in their shoes.
Take Good Care of Them
As you might expect, vibrating shoes with Bluetooth conductivity are not cheap. Droplabs’ EP 01 retailed for just under $300 a year ago. That’s a lot of money to pay for a pair of sneakers. But if vibrating shoes connected to your smartphone are your thing, go for it.
Just be sure you take care of these babies. Never expose them to the elements for too long. In fact, as long as you’re spending hundreds of dollars on sneakers, spend a little more on a pair of waterproof shoe covers from GC Tech. They will keep your vibrating sneakers safe.
It took some time, but vibrating shoes are finally here. Now you can buy a pair of shoes that re-create the live concert experience by vibrating along with the music emanating from your smartphone. Thanks to Bluetooth and a few choice gadgets, your shoes can make you feel like you are on stage with your favorite band.
