Let’s hope these sneakers with LED screens are not the footwear of the future

“Things to put your feet in” probably falls somewhere on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, but there’s no way that includes these things. Vixole’s new “e-sneakers” come with an LED screen near the heel that the wearer can customize with drawings, photos, or a preloaded design via the companion app.

There are three versions of the sneaker: the Vixole Basic, with an LED display, the Vixole Plus, with an LED display and eight sensors that can track your movements, and the Vixole OLED, with an HD OLED screen. The Vixole OLED, which is currently sold out on the company’s Indiegogo page, is the most expensive option at $300.

Here’s the thing though: these sneakers are gross. They’re an aesthetic nightmare. They’re an insult to feet, which are already ugly. They look like orthopedic shoes repurposed for the club. They also look uncomfortable as heck. Notice how the back of the sneaker is shaped:

You wanna put your foot in that for real? That sneaker is shaped like a gourd attached to a brick wall, and it will give you a blister.

Plus, the shoes are still in the prototype stage, and there’s no real evidence they can even do the things the designers claim they can do. Like sync up with the music you listen to, or help you win a game of Pokémon Go.

Lastly, here’s a screenshot from a section of the Indiegogo page that tells you what you can do while wearing Vixole sneakers:

Seems as good a reason as any to avoid them.