So, here’s the scoop on Cybershoes — yeah, those crazy VR shoes that made you feel like you were walking while sitting. Weird, right? Anyway, they’ve folded. Yep, shut down, like one of those TV shows that just doesn’t make it past the first season even though you kinda loved it. Started by some gutsy folks in Austria, it seems they’ve closed the shop for good in April 2025.
Why it happened? Who really knows? I mean, they stopped making these things two years ago, but the final nail wasn’t quite in the coffin then. Some report about one branch closing in 2024 — like a slow-motion train wreck or maybe just a paperwork delay. It all wrapped up recently, confirmed by one of the co-founders, Igor Mitric Lavovski. LinkedIn post, no less.
But hold on — there’s more legality jazz. Austrian companies are supposed to file for insolvency within two months when money’s tight or debts are high. Seems pretty strict if you ask me. They might come clean with some insolvency details soon. Or not. The legalese can get really sticky.
Cybershoes were always a bit quirky, you know? Not like the usual VR gear with big chunky treadmills. Nah, this was more like strapping shoe-skates to your feet and shifting around while sitting. Yep, they even had a fancy inertial doohickey to track foot moves. You’d be running a marathon in a video game without even sweating. Wild stuff.
This whole adventure started back in 2018. No traditional big-money backers, just passionate folks on Kickstarter tossing in over €200,000 to see it go from a 3D-printed idea to an actual product. They even ran an IndieGogo campaign afterward, reeling in another €140,000.
Fast forward to 2020, and they were back at it on Kickstarter, hoping to make a version for the Oculus Quest folks. But it didn’t quite hit the numbers they hoped. $98,000 isn’t chump change, but when the previous round was double — it’s gotta sting.
Today? Try finding one in stock. Go ahead, I’ll wait. Store’s a ghost town. Even Amazon had the last batch disappear by the end of 2024, according to some price tracking thing called CamelCamelCamel. Seriously, that name though.
And if you’re curious about how they worked — there’s a review floating around by some guy, Vitillo. Give it a look if you’re nostalgic. Or just curious about what could’ve been.
Who knew VR shoes could have such a rollercoaster of a ride?
