Skip to main content

These shoes let me stroll through ‘Skyrim,’ and I desperately want to go back

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Michael Bieglmayer and Igor Mitric are a quirky duo from Austria that head a VR brand called Cybershoes. You may have heard the name pop up back in October 2018, when their Kickstarter campaign reached full funding (and then some) in a matter of only two hours.

With 1,006 backers and $247,674 raised, the campaign claims that Cybershoes are the world’s first virtual reality shoe to immerse players using natural movement. I tracked them down at CES, and they swept me off my feet.

Happy feet

The booth featured two demo stations, one with Doom VFR and the other with Skyrim VR. Since I wasn’t up for the chaotic pace of Doom, I opted to try Cybershoes while playing Skyrim. After sitting down on the chair, the team quickly strapped on the shoes, placed a Vive headset on my head, and just like that — I was in the world of Skyrim.

The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Image used with permission by copyright holder

At first, I was tried to skate along the dirt path. It wasn’t very effective. Then I was instructed to pick up my feet, and as I did, I started to move along at a rapid clip. Slow, awkward movements became quick, swift little kicks, and after a few minutes I was climbing hills and shooting arrows at wolves without thinking about what my feet were doing.

My experience didn’t last long. A giant came along and bashed me with a club, and that was that. Off came the headset and the shoes, and to my disappointment, the demo was over.

I put on the Cybershoes with some reservations. Surely, I thought, they wouldn’t be intuitive or feel natural. My skepticism has now melted away. The shoes seemed easy to use, comfortable, and translated well to playing an open-world game like Skyrim. I the real world I was anchored in one place, but in the game I roamed freely.

The Cybershoes bundle

Image used with permission by copyright holder

Cybershoes outdoes its competition by being a more compact alternative to walking and running in VR. The simple design is a little off putting. It looks too simple to work. Yet that might be because other VR traversal solutions often look like something out of a sci-fi movie. The shoes require you to be seated, which might be a deterrent for some, but the upside is you won’t have to worry about tripping over furniture.

You’ll quickly realize, though, that Cybershoes aren’t as simple or compact as they look. You’ll need a laundry list of very specific items to use them properly. The list includes a stationary chair that spins on its axis like a barstool, at least 59 inches of carpet with short, even texture, and a VR headset that supports SteamVR apps — particularly those that utilize free locomotion.

Wire management is another beast you’ll have to tackle, as spinning in a chair means you’ll inevitably end up tangled. While you can find some pretty great suggestions for that on their Kickstarter page, it’s yet another thing you’ll need to consider when buying in. There’s a reason why the Kickstarter campaign offered Cybershoes bundles instead of only recommending items on Amazon.

Without the bundles, you’re likely going to be paying more just to recreate the perfect setup for these shoes.

Before I commit, I think I’ll need a little more time with Skyrim.

Felicia Miranda
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Born in '89 and raised through the 90s, I experienced what I consider to be the golden age of video games. At an early age, I…
The Alienware x16 R2 gaming laptop with RTX 4090 is $900 off
The Alienware x16 R2 gaming laptop with Evil Dead The Game on the screen.

You have to be prepared to spend a significant amount of cash if you want a powerful gaming laptop, but you should also be on the lookout for any opportunities at savings. Take a look at Alienware deals at Dell, which has tempting offers like this one: the Alienware x16 R2 with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 graphics card with a $900 discount. From its original price of $3,600, it's down to $2,700, which is still pretty expensive, but an excellent price for a device of its caliber. You need to hurry though, as it may be back to its regular price as soon as tomorrow!

Why you should buy the Alienware x16 R2 gaming laptop

Read more
Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket is adding that really jacked bug in next update
Buzzwole jumps in the air in Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket.

Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket will get its next major update on Thursday, May 29 which will add a new booster pack to the popular mobile game. Dubbed Extradimensional Crisis, the new pack will add Ultra Beasts from Pokémon Sun and Moon to the mix.

Since its release last year, Pokémon Trading Card Game Pocket has received regular updates. Its most recent one, which featured two Celestial Guardians booster packs, introduced critters from the Alola region to the card game. Extradimensional Crisis will continue that thread, adding some missing monsters to the card pool.

Read more
Elden Ring Nightreign preload guide: release date, file size, and more
A knight sitting at the roundtable hold in Elden Ring Nightreign.

After the massive base experience with Elden Ring, plus the huge Shadow of the Erdree DLC, we still haven't had our fill of FromSoftware's greatest work. Elden Ring Nightreign takes the base mechanics of the main game and transforms it into a co-op survival game with roguelike elements. While you can play alone, this is a game built for you and your friends to conquer together, although the lack of cross-platform support is a big downer. All the trailers and footage make this game look like a greatest hits of FromSoftware, with tons of returning bosses, armor sets, and locations that we can't wait to discover. To make sure you're not waiting a second longer than you need to, here's all the preorder information about Elden Ring Nightreign, including when preloads begin and how big the game is.

Elden Ring Nightreign release date

Read more