With its “Climfeet”, the French SoleCooler wants to warm your feet in winter and ventilate them in summer. He is also working on connected insoles, designed to prevent blisters.
Having cold toes in winter, soon to be a bad memory?
At CES 2024 in Las Vegas, we met SoleCooler, a startup created in 2019 which wants to improve foot comfort. Since last year, it has been marketing Climfeet, reversible insoles capable of warming your feet by 4 degrees in winter and cooling them by 3.5 degrees in summer. Ultimately, SoleCooler could even go further with connected insoles.
Reversible soles
SoleCooler is exhibiting its product at the world’s largest trade fair dedicated to new technologies, but itself is ironic about the absence of high-tech in its soles. The Climfeet are based on the same principle as the heat pump and release air with each step, with the foot acting as a motor. The company details this ingenious process on its site, which it has obviously patented.
For a few minutes we were able to try out the SoleCooler insoles. Although it is difficult to feel the slightest difference at first, we begin to feel our feet heating up after several dozen steps. Interest could be amplified when skiing or hiking in winter, while SoleCooler explains to us that they are working on models that can provide up to 10 degrees of difference.
The price of a pair of insoles: 66 euros excluding tax, or 79 euros for the general public. You then have to cut your soles to fit your shoes, with the possibility of turning them over in summer to release cold air. In addition to the general public, SoleCooler targets companies that would like to equip their employees.
Connected insoles, the next step?
CES in Las Vegas obliges, SoleCooler also came with a slightly more experimental product. The French startup’s new insoles prototype is connected, self-recharges thanks to steps, communicates with an application and helps prevent the appearance of blisters thanks to special technology. However, it is not ready to be marketed.
The only bad news for SoleCooler: it’s neither too cold nor too hot in Las Vegas… Fortunately, there is France to give interest to its product.
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