Hacking boots: GPS shoes guide wearers home

London – East London designer Dominic Wilcox has created GPS-enabled shoes that guide wearers to their destinations via embedded LEDs activated with a click of the heels.

The No Place Like Home shoes are on display as part of Wilcox’s solo show, Variations on Normal, at KK Outlet in Hoxton Square. A GPS device is embedded in the heels, while a red tag on the ankle serves as an antenna.

The shoes put a DIY hacker spin on heritage craftsmanship. Wilcox worked with interactive designer Becky Stewart for the electronic components, and enlisted Stamp Shoes in Northamptonshire to craft the shoes. Wilcox was supported by Northamptonshire’s Global Footprint project, which brings attention to the county’s history as a shoe manufacturing centre and its current prestige footwear renaissance.

For more on how the spread of connectivity and the Internet of Things create opportunities for brands, see our Inform interview with Andy Stanford-Clark.