Despina Papadopoulos

Conning the Brain and Desire: ClickSneaks
The ClickSneaks were conceived in the most pedestrian manner. Walking down a cobblestone street, wearing a comfortable pair of sneakers next to a friend wearing a stunning pair of high heels. The sound of the heels echoed through the night, each step producing a rich aural environment; what if the comfortable sneakers could partake in this world of poignant allusions?

Part fantasy, part irony, the ClickSneaks subvert both the traditional attributes of a pair of shoes, and expose the multi-layered relationship we have with our clothes and accessories.

For the ClickSneaks the sound of the inspirational high heels has been recorded, only to be activated on each step the revamped sneakers take. Surface mount technology makes it possible to fit the necessary components in the sneakers: the original “click” sound is recorded on a voice chip, while a speaker, amplifier and an accelerometer acting as a “switch”, transform these seemingly normal sneakers into a flighty performance.

The ClickSneaks were part of the Touch Me exhibit (June 16th – August 29th 2005) at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London and at the Gwangju Design Biennale 2005.