Skip to main content

Walk this way: These ‘smart shoes’ vibrate to point you in the right direction

lechal smart shoes sync with google maps shoe
Image used with permission by copyright holder
It can be hard to read directions from Google Maps on your smartphone in full sunlight. It’s also distracting and prevents you from truly engaging with your surroundings. Even though smartwatches offer up directions right on your wrist, they too can be hard to read in the sun and get in the way of exploring a new city. Wouldn’t it be nice to just know exactly where to turn at any given moment?

An Indian company called Ducere Technologies Pvt. has created Lechal, a smart shoe that vibrates when you need to make a turn. The Bluetooth-enabled shoes sync up with Google Maps to give you accurate directions without any distractions. If you need to turn left, your left foot will buzz and when you need to turn right, your right foot will vibrate. It’s that simple.

Once you download the app from the iOS App Store or the Android Google Play Store, you simply pair the shoes via Bluetooth, select your destination, and go. The shoes use your smartphone’s GPS to choose the best route for you. The company says that Lechal means “take me along” in Hindi, so that’s exactly what the smart shoes do.

Lechal insoles
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Since the shoes know your location, they can also send images and descriptions of nearby landmarks to your smartphone. If you want to know the name of that beautiful gothic cathedral in front of you, you can pull out your smartphone and find out all about it in the companion app.

In addition to offering hands-free directions and pointing out cool attractions in the area, Lechal also counts the number of steps you’ve taken and how many calories you’ve burned during your expedition. All of this info is sent to the app, so you can track your progress.

The Lechal smart shoes will cost between $100 and $150 when they arrive in stores this September. So far, only two colors are available: red or black. The company will also offer insoles with the same technology for those who want to put them in different pairs of shoes. Both products are already available for pre-order on the website and ship internationally.

Editors' Recommendations

Malarie Gokey
Former Digital Trends Contributor
As DT's Mobile Editor, Malarie runs the Mobile and Wearables sections, which cover smartphones, tablets, smartwatches, and…
Samsung and Google partnership finds a shared home for SmartThings
The Google Nest Audio speaker on a table.

Matter — the interoperability protocol that will bring smart devices from different brands under a single umbrella of control — is less than a month away from its official launch. Ahead of the grand reveal, Samsung and Google have announced a partnership that adds a convenient element of interoperability to their respective smart home ecosystems.

Sounds confusing? Well, here’s the easy breakdown. Samsung, in collaboration with partner brands, sells a wide range of smart home devices, from doorbells and switches to lights and garage door openers. However, barely a few of those SmartThings gadgets worked seamlessly with Google’s Home app for controlling smart home gizmos.

Read more
Android 13 is here, and you can download it on your Pixel phone right now
Official artwork of Android 13

The day has finally arrived for Android phones to get their big yearly update. Google released the stable Android 13 update today, and if you have a Pixel 4 or later model in your hand, the update notification will pop up soon. I’ve already got it on my Pixel 6a, and installation is underway.

Google says that phones from Samsung, OnePlus, Nokia, Oppo, Realme, and Xiaomi, among others, will start getting the update later this year. You can expect these brands to make an official announcement regarding the update road map for their respective phones in the next few days.

Read more
Samsung’s 2nd-generation SmartSSD can process data right on the drive
A black Samsung 2nd generation Smart SSD

Forget CPUs. Say goodbye to ARM systems on a chip (SOCs). Samsung just dropped its second-generation smart SSD, and this sounds like a game changer.

The SmartSSD processes data right there on the hard drive. Programs saved to your PC don't need to lose speed transferring to your CPU in order to launch. Games can render graphics directly from the drive, freeing up GPU cores. It's like a party on your SSD and everyone is invited.

Read more