Dance to call with these Samsung sneakers


Samsung has collaborated with Dutch designer Roel van Hoff to release a limited-edition Galaxy-inspired pair of sneakers that allow users to control their phones with their feet.

“Het concept is simpel,” Samsung Nederland said in a press release marking the launch of the Samsung Shortcut Sneaker. It is simple indeed: the sneakers have built-in motion sensors that trigger certain actions on the phone.

For example, you can tap your feet to make a call or moonwalk to play music. In all, five different movements prompt five different shortcuts on the phone. According to Samsung, the algorithm has been trained on multiple people performing the dance moves hundreds of times.

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Samsung claimed it is the first sneaker in the world “that allows you to call your friends.” The design of the sneakers references heavily to the company’s flagship Samsung phone and a space theme, including materials “reminiscent of meteorites and supernovae.”

There are only six pairs of this limited edition drop, and the sneakers are not for sale. Samsung said it would give away the shoes to its loyalty program members, who can register for a chance to win a pair in a competition.

This is not the first time Samsung has taken an unorthodox approach to promote its Galaxy line. Earlier this year, it reimagined London's iconic Tube map into a circle as part of the company's two-week "collaborative takeover" of the British capital's Circle line to promote Circle to Search with Google, a new Galaxy S24 feature.