These sneakers have soles made of a flexible graphite substance that marks when pressure is applied, like a pencil. If the wearer walks mostly on concrete and sidewalks, they should leave a trail of black footprints which provide a log of where they've been all day.
These also double as a form of impermanent, temporary "street art". If enough people in an urban area wore these shoes, than a bored person could spend an entertaining afternoon following a randomly chosen trail or trails.
These shoes are environmentally friendly, and go away whenever it rains, or the street is washed. If you want to cover up your trail, simply rub out your prints with the jumbo eraser provided on the outside of your shoe.-- DrWorm, Aug 06 2009 Mairead O'Heocha's graphite shoes http://www.margaret...an.com/bio/east.swfimage no 4 - most excellent work [xenzag, Aug 06 2009] (?) Contrails http://bikehacks.com/contrail/Similar idea for bikes, using chalk [pocmloc, Aug 06 2009] As requested http://en.wikipedia...pendent_prostitutesProof of Greek prostitute sandals, on Wikipedia [DrWorm, Aug 07 2009] + for the subtitle.-- blissmiss, Aug 06 2009 ([bm] - I wonder if the subtitle came before the idea...)Nice idea, although the graphite might be slippery. You could add gription (q.v.) and still maintain the "Carbon Footprint" marketing slogan by mixing a small quantity of industrial diamonds with the graphite (allowing you to use Paul Simon's "Diamonds on the soles of her shoes" in the TV ads for this product).-- hippo, Aug 06 2009 So, should I be feeling bad about my size 12 Malaysian rubber footwear, and should I avoid following in your footsteps?-- Dub, Aug 06 2009 [hippo]- You saw right through me! Yes, the subtitle did come before the idea, but I'm pretty happy with the way the idea turned out as well. Also, if this were a real product, adding diamonds to the mix would increase the price point, no?-- DrWorm, Aug 06 2009 Friend of mine made a pair of shoes out of graphite and wax and walked around in them, making mad drawings - so it is possible. Strangely enough I'm meeting her tomorrow. (see link)-- xenzag, Aug 06 2009 Once you have a shoe pencil, then you need a shoe pen, and a shoe crayola, and a shoe spray can...-- ldischler, Aug 06 2009 There's a story of a fictional hero who ventures into a totally dark environment (cave, maze, building, spaceship) who wears boots with a reservoir in the heel that drops a tiny dot of luminous paint wherever he steps, allowing him to track his progress.-- 8th of 7, Aug 06 2009 [DrWorm] I don't think the price would increase dramatically. Industrial diamonds (as opposed to anything gem-like) are cheap.-- hippo, Aug 07 2009 Slightly different idea, saw a Victorian idea ages ago, for a pair of boots, connected to a paint reserve, so when walking down the street you'd print the advert with each step..damned if I can find any pictures of them on the net though-- random_patenter_syndrome_victim, Aug 07 2009 That reminds me of another tidbit:
In ancient Greece, prostitutes wore sandals that made imprints in the sand, advertising their service.-- DrWorm, Aug 07 2009 Wikipedia, you say?
(link)-- DrWorm, Aug 07 2009 random, halfbakery