INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Sometimes it seems like you can hear a song all the way in your toes
With these new sneakers, you actually can.Meet the new EP 01 sneakers out of DropLabs
We’re talking about sneakers.Invented by a man named Brock Seiler, and led by former Beats by Dre CEO Susan Paley, DropLabs aims to take
audio to a whole new level by syncing music, movies and other audio to shoes that vibrate the soles of your feet.It started when Seiler, who
works in the music industry, was standing in a side room at a recording studio while a band was recording
He could feel every beat and low note in the song in his feet while standing over this particular patch of floor, and wanted to experience
all music like that, as though he could feel the energy of the stage itself.Eventually, Paley signed on as CEO of DropLabs and the EP 01 was
born.The EP 01 is a slightly chunky sneaker that’s equipped with Bluetooth, a speaker-grade transducer and a power source to sync with
As a movie or music or video game plays, the sneaker picks up the audio and sends it as a perfectly synced vibration right to the soles of
For big, thunderous steps of a T-Rex in Jurassic World, the vibrations are heavy and full
For the pitter-patter of the townspeoples’ footsteps in Red Dead: Redemption II, the vibrations are light and muted.What’s more, the
vibrations are slightly directional
Noise that’s coming from the right vibrates on the right, and vice versa, which can be particularly impactful while playing video
games.Indeed, Paley sees gaming as a huge opportunity to enter the market
Audio, and particularly good directional audio, is incredibly important for gamers who compete at a high level
The growth of esports has allowed a number of brands to emerge as the “X for gamers,” not least of which being energy drinks.DropLabs
has an opportunity to market to gamers, offering a more immersive experience across their games and potentially even a competitive
advantage.Paley explained to TechCrunch that the brain actually functions at a higher level when three or more of the senses are engaged
Feeling something, alongside hearing and seeing it, flips a switch when it comes to processing information.For this reason, Paley sees a
huge potential to target gamers as an early demographic, particularly big-name streamers and gaming influencers.In fact, DropLabs has given
the shoes to various researchers and universities around the country to learn more about how these shoes might be used
After meeting with them, Paley believes there are applications that extend well beyond entertainment and into the health space.I got a
chance to try on the shoes and play around with them for a little while last week, and while I’d like to reserve my complete thoughts for
a proper review, it goes without saying that wearing the shoes surely leaves an impression.[gallery
ids="1911372,1911373,1911374,1911375,1911376"]But the EP 01 have challenges ahead.For one, the shoes cost upwards of $500
It’s a mighty high price point for a gadget that most folks will need to try before they feel committed to buying.“Whenever you create a
new category and a new product, you have the challenge of asking consumers to change their behavior,” said Paley
“And this, in particular, is so visceral
How do you communicate viscerally what is an emotional experience? You can talk about it, but it’s very different to put someone in the
shoe.”The EP 01 must also find their place in a category that’s defined by fashion and personal style
Our shoes say something about us, and for now, the EP 01 comes in one style and one color (black)
It’s as universal a shoe as it can be, considering all the electronics packed in there, but it doesn’t leave customers many options to
change up their own look.Of course, DropLabs is deep in the learning phase, soaking up as much information about its first-gen sneaker as
possible as it looks to iterate for v2.The EP 01 is available for pre-order now, and DropLabs has plans to launch pop-up shops and other IRL
experiences for folks interested in the shoes.Editor’s Note: An earlier version of this story mistakenly identified Brock Seiler as Ross
It has been corrected for accuracy.
