DropLabs Launches First Product

Last week, L.A.-based tech startup DropLabs released its first episode. Its first product, EP 01, is a pair of sneakers that stimulates nerve receptors in your feet so you can “feel” audio in your legs.

I tried on the Iron Man-esque kicks yesterday and listened to music, watched movie clips, and played Red Dead Redemption. Verdict: They’re very cool, but slightly clunky and will set you back nearly $500.

CEO Susan Paley, who’s also the former CEO of Beats By Dr. Dre, told me EP 01 is a proof of concept. Work is already underway on the next episode and she’s in talks with the entertainment industry, university/hospital clinical researchers, and major footwear players. Paley also said DropLabs is also striking esports partnerships (but she wouldn’t say with whom).

• She dropped two words I’ve been hearing a lot: EP 01 is a “developer platform.” As developers build use cases on DropLabs’s sneaks, the company hopes consumers will follow.

Big picture: Footwear is a new immersive wearable category, and down the road, you can envision the possible VR/AR tie-ins. But for now, Paley’s focused on getting the sneakers in the right hands feet.