This Smart Shoe Can Change Colors and Patterns Thanks to E-Ink

at 20 March 2015

It seems weâ€™re only just beginning to see the potential of e-ink. Its broadest usage is, of course, in e-readers; then thereâ€™s the Pebble smart watch, the e-ink Yota Phone, the e-ink multi-card, even e-ink pricing tags for supermarket displays.But it also has strong potential in fashion â€” especially since the invention of flexible e-paper. Take the Volvorii Timeless peep-toe heels, created by new Lithuania-based startup iShuu Technologies, currently seeking funding on Indiegogo.

The shoes come in both black and white, and it can be customised to a variety of patterned outfits thanks to a flexible e-ink display that is integrated into the shoeâ€™s upper. Tucked away into a hollow carved out of the shoeâ€™s sole is a Bluetooth low-energy receiver, which allows the wearer to program the e-ink display in either block black or white, or with a pattern to match their outfit, from polka dots to animal stripes to flowers.