Note from the Editor: American Dancer gets a lot of mail, including media releases, advertisements, and stories. Most do not pertain to our readership. However, every once in a while, a clever, informative, or amusing piece makes its way to us. This one is not about dancing, but it is about shoes…and all dancers love shoes. Enjoy!!
Ever wondered what shoes might look like in 100 years? Or 1,000 years? Or what footwear might look like for our generation’s great, great, great-grandchildren?
Step into the future of footwear with KURU Footwear’s newest report, where AI predicts what shoes will look like in the future!
The Kuru team used AI technology to visualize how shoes of the future may look. By intentionally keeping their prompts vague, they wanted to see what the shoes of tomorrow would look like when left to the likes of AI (for better or worse).
Kuru also asked specifically what women’s and men’s shoes of the future will look like, plus what snow boots, sandals, running shoes and more could look like. (Editor’s note: Sorry…no dance shoes so far.)
Here’s a little sneak peek.
Footwear Evolution: AI Predicts What Shoes Will Look Like in the Future
It’s no secret that Artificial Intelligence (AI) has taken the world by storm the past few years. From predictive texts to resumé help to photography that makes you question your own perception of reality—AI has become quite the hot topic across a wide variety of industries.
At KURU Footwear, we like to keep on top of trends within the footwear industry—from surveys and studies to discovering how AI would visualize each state as a unique shoe. With this in mind, we wielded the predictive powers of AI to help us hypothesize the future of footwear.
What does AI say shoes will look like in 100—or even 1,000—years from now? Take a peek below at AI’s predictions.
(And while we wish the below shoes were real, remember these are AI-generated images, so we unfortunately don’t have samples available—although we wish we did!)
Footwear of the Future: AI Predicts How Shoes May Look One Day
As shoes have evolved over the decades, we’ve seen everything from footwear that had far more to do with fashion that function (hello, 1950’s high heels at home) to the sneakerhead craze of the 1980s—and beyond.
Today, we see more and more shoes prioritizing comfort, arch support, and cushion for healthy feet.
AI’s images, too, illustrate a trend toward comfort, which we’ve already observed in the footwear industry. In fact, in a survey we conducted for our 2023 Foot Pain Trends Report, we found that 88% of respondents bought shoes with foot pain in mind.
We asked AI in a few different ways to give us studio images of what shoes will look like in the future. We kept our prompts vague to ensure minimal bias. Here’s what AI delivered!
Overall:
- The shoes’ insoles appear particularly thick, which could mean AI believes comfort will still be a priority in the future.
- Shoes will include clear silicone or glass and even lights—especially in the soles—giving a very real “Jetsons” aesthetic.
- Orange and blue hues seem to be a common theme.
While these designs would certainly stand out on your feet in 2024, perhaps one day you’d blend right in with these trailblazing choices!
For an even deeper look at shoes of the future, we asked AI to show us futuristic footwear in a variety of specific categories: shoes for men, shoes for women, fashion boots, snow boots, sandals, running shoes, and pain relief shoes. See below what AI imagined!
Men’s Shoes of the Future
Here’s what AI predicts for men’s footwear:
- Sneakers got a major futuristic update, but dress shoes look relatively the same as today—perhaps with a little more shine and flair.
- AI believes that black and orange will be the most popular men’s footwear colors.
- AI predicts sneakers will remain popular, with 3 out of the 4 images being this fan-favorite style.
Women’s Shoes of the Future
Here’s what AI predicts for women’s footwear:
- Perhaps a little steeped in cliché, AI leans heavily on pink and traditionally feminine colors.
- Every women’s shoe has transparent features with a “glassy” look.
- Each shoe is depicted with a heel or some kind of platform—even if they are on the sportier side.
Fashion Boots of the Future
Here’s what AI predicts for fashion boots:
- AI thinks women will be the majority wearers for fashion boots.
- 3 out of the 4 AI-generated images use transparent materials. We sure hope cute socks are “in” to keep our feet dry and covered!
Snow Boots of the Future
- It appears that 3 of the 4 boots look like a mix between a chunky white sneaker and a high-performance ski boot.
- Since AI includes water or snow in most of the images, we can assume these boots are waterproof!
- With the high profile and stirrup-like straps of these boots, perhaps AI believes that future snow boots will be able to snap right into skis? We’re here for the efficiency!
Sandals of the Future
- In a vibrant display of color, AI predicts sandals will be bright, bold, and fun.
- A combination of 1970s colors and 1990s jellies material, these futuristic sandals look like they’re ready for poolside adventures.
- We see a versatile mix of flat soles, contoured arches, wedge bases, and even a kitten heel!
Running Shoes of the Future
- AI has imagined running shoes with a very specific kind of sole, with an airy design that could potentially give optimal shock absorption.
- Interestingly, these shoes almost look like they could be from today. Perhaps AI believes running shoes are already headed in the right direction.
And Finally—Pain Relief Shoes of the Future
Lastly, because our mission is to free the world from foot pain, we asked AI to depict shoes built for pain relief. Here’s what it gave us!
- AI prioritizes a sneaker style for foot pain relief.
- We see thick soles with arches that curve with the foot.
- At KURU, we believe health starts with heel and that a shoe shaped like your feet gives you the best chance at pain relief. We’re happy to see what appears to be a healthy degree of heel cushioning and arch support across all four styles!
The Actual Future of Footwear
We hope you enjoyed this trip down a futuristic lane! As we know, AI can only make educated guesses based on what it already knows from the digital world today. We look forward to continuing to observe (and create!) footwear trends over time.
We believe the footwear industry will continue to lean into foot wellness—we know we certainly will! Here’s to the next 100 years of footwear that prioritizes foot health!
Methodology and Sources
We used AI (MidJourney) to imagine how shoes will look in the future. We then compiled these images into a report. All images were created by MidJourney.
About Us
At KURU, we’re on a mission to help you Heel Better™ with footwear technology designed to relieve foot pain, so you can live a life you love. Since launching our innovative technology in 2008, we’ve received more than 31,000 five-star reviews from thousands of customers who tell us their KURU shoes helped them with conditions (such as plantar fasciitis) and got them back to doing what they love.
