Cybershoes

Cybershoes
Basic Info
VR/AR	Virtual Reality
Type	VR Locomotion accessory
Subtype	Seated locomotion controller
Platform	SteamVR, Meta Quest
Creator	Cybershoes
Developer	Cybershoes GmbH
Manufacturer	Cybershoes GmbH
Announcement Date	2018
Release Date	2019 (PC VR); 2021 (Quest)
Price	$399 (retail)
Website	https://www.cybershoes.com
Versions	Cybershoes (PC VR), Cybershoes for Quest
Requires	Compatible VR headset, swivel chair, carpet
Predecessor	None
Successor	None
System
Operating System	N/A
Chipset	N/A
CPU	N/A
GPU	N/A
Storage
Storage	N/A
Memory	N/A
SD Card Slot	No
Display
Display	N/A
Resolution	N/A
Refresh Rate	N/A
Image
Field of View	N/A
Horizontal FoV	N/A
Vertical FoV	N/A
Optics
Optics	N/A
Ocularity	N/A
IPD Range	N/A
Adjustable Diopter	N/A
Passthrough	N/A
Tracking
Tracking	Roller and IMU sensors (foot motion)
Base Stations	N/A
Eye Tracking	N/A
Face Tracking	N/A
Hand Tracking	N/A
Body Tracking	No
Rotational Tracking	N/A
Positional Tracking	N/A
Audio
Audio	N/A
Microphone	N/A
Camera	N/A
Connectivity
Connectivity	USB radio receiver (PC); Bluetooth (Quest)
Ports	Micro USB (charging)
WiFi	N/A
Bluetooth	Yes (Quest version)
Power	Rechargeable battery
Battery Capacity	Internal
Battery Life	8-10 hours
Charge Time	~3 hours (Micro USB)
Device
Dimensions	Strap-on shoe attachments
Weight	N/A
Material	Milled conductive plastic
Headstrap	N/A
Haptics	N/A
Color	Black
Sensors	Roller encoder, IMU
Input	Foot motion (walk, run)
Compliance	Max user weight 220 lb / 100 kg

Property "Type" (as page type) with input value "VR Locomotion accessory" contains invalid characters or is incomplete and therefore can cause unexpected results during a query or annotation process.

Cybershoes are a Virtual Reality locomotion accessory worn over the feet that let a seated user walk, run, and move through virtual environments by sliding the feet back and forth across a textured carpet. Each shoe attachment carries a small barrel-shaped roller on the sole; as the user mimics a walking motion while seated on a swivel chair, the rollers spin and sensors convert that movement into in-game forward and backward locomotion. The device was developed by the Austrian startup Cybershoes GmbH, founded in Vienna in 2018 by inventor and chief executive Michael Bieglmayer along with several co-founders. Pitched as a lighter, cheaper, and more compact alternative to full-size VR treadmills such as the Virtuix Omni and KAT Walk, Cybershoes aimed to reduce motion sickness by tying physical leg movement to virtual travel.

The first generation was a wired product for PC-based SteamVR systems, and a later wireless generation added Bluetooth support for the standalone Meta Quest and Meta Quest 2. Both shipped after successful crowdfunding campaigns. The company wound down operations between 2023 and 2025: production of new units stopped around 2023, the United States subsidiary Cybershoes Inc. closed in 2024, and the Austrian parent Cybershoes GmbH was formally dissolved in April 2025.

History

Cybershoes GmbH was founded in Vienna, Austria, in 2018. The concept came from Michael Bieglmayer, who serves as the company's inventor and CEO; he assembled a founding team that included Doris Bauer-Posautz, Igor Mitric Lavovski, Georg Wimberger, Andreas Kern, and Georg Loffelmann. Bieglmayer has described the central design insight as the decision to make locomotion a seated activity rather than a standing one, stating that the team "had to experiment a lot until we realized that the solution was not to be found in standing but in sitting."

The product was shown publicly at major industry events including E3, gamescom, and CES, and the company has said early prototypes were tested by roughly 4,000 individual users across those shows. Cybershoes was a prominent demonstration on the show floor at CES 2019.

The first Cybershoes Kickstarter campaign launched on October 2, 2018, with a funding goal of about 30,000 euros (roughly $34,600). It tripled that goal within the first 24 hours, and by the following day nearly 500 backers had pledged more than 100,000 euros. By the time the campaign closed it had raised over 200,000 euros for the PC VR version. A 2019 Indiegogo campaign for the PC product raised about 140,000 euros from more than 500 backers.

In November 2020 the company ran a second Kickstarter for a redesigned Cybershoes for Quest, which surpassed its goal on the first day and ultimately raised roughly $98,000 from about 470 backers. Deliveries of the Quest model began by May 2021, and that same month the product became available on Amazon in the United States.

Shutdown

Production of new Cybershoes hardware ceased around 2023. The Quest version sold out in late 2024, and the United States entity Cybershoes Inc. shut down in 2024. Co-founder Igor Mitric Lavovski announced in 2025 that the Austrian parent company, Cybershoes GmbH, had been formally shut down, a closure dated to April 2025. No formal reason was publicly disclosed; coverage attributed the failure to the limited overall market for VR locomotion accessories. At the close, Lavovski noted that Cybershoes remained "one of the only ways to walk through virtual reality."

Design and Operation

A Cybershoes setup consists of several parts: the shoe attachments themselves, a low-friction carpet, a rotating chair or stool, the receiver that links the shoes to the headset or PC, and the supporting software. The attachments strap over the user's existing footwear using bindings the company compared to snowboard bindings.

To move, the user sits on the swivel chair and makes a walking or running motion with the legs while keeping the feet on the carpet. A roller mounted on the sole of each shoe rotates as the foot slides, and that rotation, combined with motion sensing, is interpreted as travel speed in the virtual world. Because the user is seated and turns the body on the swivel chair, the direction of movement can be controlled independently of where the head is looking, and the chair allows full 360-degree turning. The Quest generation used an inertial measurement unit so the shoes could sense their own motion without external base stations.

The shoe bodies were milled from a single block of conductive plastic, which the company said made them durable enough to support a user weighing up to 220 pounds (100 kilograms). The PC VR version connected through a wireless radio receiver that plugged into the computer by USB rather than using Bluetooth, while the later Quest version paired with the headset over Bluetooth, where the shoes were presented to games as a gamepad input. The batteries charged in about three hours over Micro USB and provided between roughly eight and ten hours of use on a charge.

Versions

Version	Platform	Connection	Notes
Cybershoes (PC VR)	SteamVR PC headsets	Wired USB radio receiver	First generation; funded via 2018 Kickstarter and 2019 Indiegogo; compatible with HTC Vive, Oculus Rift, Windows Mixed Reality, and Pimax headsets
Cybershoes for Quest	Meta Quest, Meta Quest 2, SteamVR	Bluetooth (Quest); USB (PC)	Funded via November 2020 Kickstarter; shipped from 2021; presented to games as a gamepad

Compatibility and Software

Cybershoes was designed to work with VR titles that support free locomotion or gamepad-style movement rather than teleportation. The PC version supported SteamVR free-locomotion games such as Skyrim VR, Arizona Sunshine, Onward, and Rec Room. The Quest version worked with native Quest titles that support gamepad locomotion, including Arizona Sunshine, The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners, and Myst, and the company offered a free test application through SideQuest. Owners could also use the Quest hardware on PC over USB to reach the larger SteamVR library. At the product's peak, Cybershoes advertised support for 81 games across PC VR and Quest.

Pricing

Pricing varied by generation, region, and bundle. Early Kickstarter pledge tiers for the first PC VR model started around 151 to 193 euros (roughly $175 to $223). The November 2020 Kickstarter offered the full Cybershoes for Quest gaming station for about $285, against an expected retail price of $399. When the Quest version reached Amazon in the United States in 2021 it was listed at about $350, while buying the complete package directly from the company cost around $455. The retail bundle typically included a pair of Cybershoes with batteries, a swivel-style Cyberchair stool, a round carpet, a wireless receiver, an AC adapter, and the required cables.

Offer	Price	Notes
First Kickstarter (2018) tiers	~151-193 euros (~$175-$223)	Early-bird pledges, PC VR
Quest Kickstarter (2020) station	~$285	Crowdfunding price
Quest on Amazon US (2021)	~$350	Retail listing
Full package, direct (2021)	~$455	Shoes, Cyberchair, carpet, receiver, cables
Expected retail	$399	Manufacturer target price

Reception

Cybershoes drew interest as one of the few affordable alternatives to bulky VR treadmills, and hands-on coverage was broadly positive about the concept. Road to VR reported after a Gamescom demo that the device accomplished what it set out to do by increasing immersion and reducing VR-related nausea, and described it as a compelling case for lighter, space-saving locomotion hardware that was far cheaper than larger treadmills. New Atlas likened it to "a stripped-down treadmill that lets you move while staying in one place."

In a detailed review of the Quest version, The Ghost Howls praised the innovative design, build quality, and the way the seated approach eliminated motion sickness, while noting drawbacks: step detection could be shaky and occasionally misread movements, extended sessions were physically tiring, and the device lacked the precision needed for fast action games. Reviewers generally agreed that Cybershoes offered a novel and workable way to walk in VR, with the main trade-offs being fatigue over long play and a learning curve that required calibration before it felt natural.

See Also

• Locomotion
• Virtuix Omni
• KAT Walk
• Meta Quest
• SteamVR