Building on my last post...

Ok, so I love shoes. I own many, and I still want more. In fact, I own so many I can't even see them all properly to get good use out of them. This is my MO: I'll fall in love with a pair of shoes, scour the internet until I find the best deal on them, and click, they are mine. At some point, I'll remember that pair that I bought and loved. Loved so much I wanted to keep them safe in the box. Then I forgot to wear them for a while because they were tucked away safe in said box... and then I go rummaging to find that amongst my crammed closet. Whatevs. Then I bust them out and wear the crap out of them.

But seriously, let's be clear here, I love shoes for only one reason: fashion.

Today, readers, I stumbled upon an article about a new approach shoe-giant, Adidas is taking, which I copied below for your convenience.

WTF??

Admittedly, I'm not their target audience, so perhaps that's why I find this shoe-that-is-for-walking-AND-playing video-games completely absurd. But after this, what's next? Will I be able to use my new pair of flip-flops to shave my armpits?

Innovation is taking us places I just don't think anyone wanted to go in the first place... but you tell me.

Sporting goods maker Adidas has unveiled a new limited-edition line of sneakers called the "Originals Augmented Reality Game Pack."

This isn't just any `ol sneaker. It actually doubles as a gaming device. So when you get tired off wearing it, just take it off and use the shoe as a controller.

"We were given a challenge a year ago to introduce a product that leverages technology to deliver specific lifestyle benefits to consumers," said Chris Barbour, head of digital marketing for Adidas "Originals" brand. "We we took a pair of our shoes and added a layer of `virtual' experience around it."

The Game Pack features five iconic Adidas "Originals" sneakers - the Superstar, Stan Smith, Forum, Nizza and Samba. Each sneaker has a barcode on the tongue of the shoe. When you hold the barcode in front of a computer web camera, it unlocks the 3D Adidas Originals neighborhood.

The sneaker then becomes a controller that you can use to play a series of interactive games in the virtual neighborhood. There's a laser blaster game, a skateboarding-themed game and a music-based game.

"We don't consider this a gimmick," said Barbour, hinting that Adidas plans to come out with more products, including an iPhone application and clothing that using similar technology.

"Innovation is critical in this economic environment. Consumers want more value in a product even if they don't want to pay more for it," he said. "What's really cool is these sneakers don't cost any more than they typically would have without the technology."

The sneakers are available in the United States at Champs Sports and on Eastbay.com with prices varying from $64.99 to $94.99.