The invention of flexible e-paper has opened up a world of possibilities for fashion designers, such as the team behind the Volvorii Timeless peep-toe heels, the brainchild of new Lithuania-based startup iShüu Technologies. The project is currently seeking funding on Indiegogo, writes Michelle Starr for CNET.
E-ink moves into fashion
A flexible e-ink display built into the shoe’s upper means that the basic color choice of black and white and can customized to fit with outfits of different patterns. A Bluetooth receiver is contained in a hollow carved out of the shoe’s sole, allowing the wearer to choose whether the e-ink display will be block black, block white, or a pattern of their choosing which matches their outfit.
“The Volvorii’s clean, elegant, sturdy design brings gravitas, respect and formality in an unmistakable way,” the company page reads. “Whether you are a CEO at the apex of your industry or a prospective intern who got it as a graduation present going for your first interview in the corporate world, the Volvorii will carry you with grace.”
Not only can wearers customers their shoes digitally, but physically too. The toe and the back of the hell feature anchors, to which accessories, from flowers to bows, can be attached.
From prototype to production
The shoe’s display can be charged without wires via a module in the sole, but the low-power consumption of e-ink means that it will only need charging every few weeks.
iShüu designers have already got a working prototype which they submitted to compete in the Louis Vuitton Prize, but their next goal is to move from a prototype to a final product using funding raised from Indiegogo.
Those who make an early bird pledge of $149 on the site will receive a pair of the e-ink enabled Volvorii Timeless shoes as a reward, limited to ten pairs. The regular price of the shoes rises to $249 after the first ten pledges are made, with details of the RRP still not released.
The team plans to deliver the shoes by December of this year, and interested parties should check out the Volvorii Indiegogo page.
