Category: Apparel

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Apparel Winter Sports

Achieve your NHL and Olympic dreams on the cheap with the Sparx Skate Sharpener

The dream of being in professional sports shared by many but achieved by just a few.  The road to becoming a professional athlete is unquestionably challenging and can be rather expensive at times. Hockey in particular is a notoriously expensive sport for aspiring athletes to pick up. Nonetheless, when hockey players finally land that lucrative contract in the NHL or win an Olympic medal, all of the time spent training and the money spent on expensive equipment instantly becomes well worth it.

Sparx Skate Sharpener is a device which aims to cut down the typically high costs of hockey training by offering professionals and amateurs alike the ability to sharpen their skates at home and avoid the hassle of driving to a hockey store. The device’s automatic sharpener is touted as being extremely easy to use. Indeed, users need only to place their skate on the sharpener and push a button. Just two minutes later, their skates are sharp enough to be used on a professional level.

The product utilizes the same type of grinding technology that hockey shops use. Additionally, it comes with a replaceable grinding ring so that users can customize the sharpness of their skates to their exact needs. All moving parts on the device are housed internally, with sliding guards included as an added safety measure. That being said, internal parts may ultimately complicate repairs for do-it-yourselfers. Backers who love skating might also like to check out Glo-Blades.

This campaign seeks to raise $60,000 by April 18, 2015. Backers get one product for $549 with an expected delivery of October 2015.

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Apparel Connected Objects Sports

Turning Shoe helps athletes avoid injury and perfect their form

When playing baseball, golf or other similar sports, stress is often placed on the body when swinging a bat or club, throwing a baseball, or making other unnatural motions that the body is unaccustomed to.

patent-claimedThe Turning Shoe is a smart shoe designed to reduce this type of stress and impact to the body by promoting a more natural swinging motion for baseball and golf players. The Turning Shoe eDrive Plus adds a sensor that sends information about users’ movements to their smartphones via a mobile smartphone app. Its maker plans to ship the shoes in six color designs. Turning Shoes for baseball and golf will cost $299 each, while Turning Shoe eDrive Plus for the same two sports will cost $395 each. All will ship in October provided that a campaign goal of $50,000 is met by April 16.

 

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Apparel

DVa shoes let feet rock out in different styles for ultimate fashion statement

Many people have too many shoes. Pairs upon pairs all offering something different, whether it be a different function or a completely different style altogether.

DVa is a two-in-one shoe that offers multiple styles all in one. The shoes feature holes, tops, Velcro panels, and laces that can all be combined or removed to produce different styles. Some styles offer a boat shoe look while others present more of a sneaker aesthetic. The shoes come in either back or yellow, with black and brown being the options for the laces.

DVa (perhaps to sound like diva?) offers versatility and function. The shoes work for either women or men and look like a basic canvas sneaker, a popular style these days. That said, the execution of this particular product is lacking. No matter what formation the shoe can be turned into, the result is never very attractive. One pair of DVas will cost backers $38 for delivery in May 2015, provided the product can meet its $15,000 Indiegogo goal by April 4, 2015.

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Apparel

Shnap + Laces lets you run your race without falling on your face

Stopping an exercise routine, or even stopping in the middle of a race, in order to tie one’s shoes can be extremely inconvenient and frustrating. For that matter, stopping to tie one’s shoes even during the middle of the day can be an annoyance.

Shnap + Laces aims to resolve that. The product works by attaching a button to the end of each shoelace and subsequently inserting a ball stud in the upper eyelets of one’s shoe. Next, a retainer clip locks the ball stud into place. Conveniently, the laces then snap into place and remain out of your way for the duration of the day. The product presents a nice alternative for those who don’t want to fuss with double knotting their shoestrings.

Notably, Shnap + Laces isn’t just limited to shoes. It also works with drawstring shorts and pants. What’s more, it can even be mounted to a wall and used to help keep track of any item on a lanyard or keychain.

The campaign seeks to raise $9000 by March 28, 2015. Early bird backers get one pair for $10 with an expected delivery window of April 2015.

Lastly, users interested in Shnap & Laces might also want to check out Powerlace. And for an artsy storage solution for large shoe collections, Sole Stacks is certainly an option worth exploring.

Categories
Apparel Wearables

Tracky motion capture sportswear tracks whole body movements

Wearable fitness devices tend to be limited in what movements and physical activities they can track. Some exercise and fitness enthusiasts would no doubt be interested in smart sportswear that can accurately track all their movements and activities while they are working out.

Tracky motion capture sportswear from the Project Pole company in Bangalore, India, is designed to accomplish exactly that. It is made up of a compression T-shirt and compression pants that are armed with several sensors to record physical movements, along with heart rate, breathing rate and body temperature. The product contains as many as 11 motion sensors combined. Data collected includes biomechanical analysis and can be used for comparative study and performance evaluation. In addition to storing the data in the cloud, Tracky will inform users whether they are meeting set goals while exercising, and also provide tips on how to improve their fitness activities. The sensors transmit the data to a small hub unit that processes the data and then sends it to a mobile app for iOS and Android devices via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Windows support is also planned.

Tracky, like the similar Heddoko, holds promise for a very niche audience of fitness enthusiasts who won’t mind wearing a nearly full body suit while exercising. It’s also impossible to gauge how comfortable it will be from watching an online video—if it’s uncomfortable, there will likely be few takers.

Backers who provide $179 as part of an early bird special, or $199 as part of an Indiegogo special, can expect the product in September of this year. The latter price is 20 percent less than the expected retail price. Project Pole is hoping to raise $30,000 for the campaign by March 13.

Categories
Apparel Health and Wellness

Vivir clothing uses heat to burn calories, increase metabolism; makes the wearer look and feel hot

Many go to saunas in order to relax, enjoy the heat and burn some calories while they’re at it. Heat is good for the body, after all. Not only does it get blood flowing, but it can also increase one’s metabolism.

Now, all of those heat benefits can be had by just wearing clothes. Vivir is a battery-powered top/pant combo that delivers far infrared heat directly to the body. With such an outfit, one can do hot yoga at home, as the campaign shows. It’s also possible to gain heat benefits by just taking a walk around the block. Vivir’s clothing line is black, features the Vivir logo, and comes in both men’s and women’s styles. The lithium-ion battery seems to be worn directly on the person, but the campaign doesn’t make this too clear. On its highest setting, the battery only lasts about an hour. Both the pants and shirts are hand washable—upon removing the battery, of course.

Vivir joins the market of products that claim weight loss and crazy health benefits by just sitting on one’s butt. Much like the Cold Shoulder, a vest that uses cold exposure to burn calories, Vivir elicits some skepticism. If it actually works, great. If not, though, it seems a little unsafe to be wearing a high temperature outfit. In addition, the battery doesn’t even last very long.

Everyone wants to look hot, but not actually feel too hot. Unfortunately, the photos of guys in lab coats on the campaign page aren’t enough to convince. One pant/top set will cost backers a whopping $489 for delivery in May of this year. Vivir is looking to raise $22,500 on Kickstarter by March 4.

Categories
Apparel Health and Wellness

Cold Shoulder vest burns calories with cold exposure, gives fat the heave-ho

As those winter pounds have stuck themselves to many waistlines, everyone wishes they could lose some weight. Ideally, that weight could be lost by sitting around and watching TV.

The Cold Shoulder promises to do just that. This vest uses NASA cold exposure techniques in order to burn calories. While it looks like any normal vest, it lives in the freezer, not the closet. To use, put it on when in a room where the temperature is comfortable. It’s only meant to be used in times of rest, not while exercising. However, if it’s hot or if one is exercising, the vest won’t burn calories, but will serve to cool the wearer down.

The basic premise behind cold exposure is that the body produces heat in order to stay warm and the only way to produce heat is by burning calories. In the Kickstarter campaign, the creators compare the effects of their vest to swimmers. Swimmers burn more calories than other athletes because they are in the water and, therefore, have lower body temperatures while they work out. Their bodies burn extra calories to keep them warm and comfortable.

Cold Shoulder is an interesting concept and one that does seem to be backed by actual science. Its claim that it burns one pound of fat per week seems a little far-fetched, but, who knows, it may actually work. The vest isn’t the most attractive thing around, especially for women. However, the campaign acknowledges that and aims to produce vests that flatter the female figure as a stretch goal. One will cost backers a donation of $100 for an estimated delivery month of April 2015. Cold Shoulder is looking to raise $13,500 on Kickstarter.

Categories
Apparel Health and Wellness

Revive Tank shirt holds hot or cold pack where you need it most

Back pain can be a debilitating problem that really hinders one’s quality of life. Many people with back pain choose to see a chiropractor. But in between visits, it’s sometimes necessary to take steps to manage pain and swelling.

Revive Tank is a product that allows the user to use heat or ice therapy and continue moving around and going about their day. The tank shirt has slot for hot or ice pads making it easy to move about while getting relief. It works even if one is experiencing sciatica, which is pain that radiates from the back and down one or both legs, and chronic back pain.

Revive Tank is an interesting idea, albeit slightly awkward. Still, it holds promise for those with chronic pain who simply can’t lie around all day feeling badly. This campaign seeks to raise $30,000 on Kickstarter. Backers get one tank for $100 with an expected delivery of May 2015.

Categories
Apparel Chargers/Batteries

Power Kicks keep your devices topped up until well past mid-afternoon

Access to electricity is such a vital component to a modern lifestyle that most people have an abundance of it. Still, many carry multiple portable batteries just to make sure their all of their devices are topped up with energy. For the 20% who don’t have ample access to electricity, cycles of poverty and illiteracy are only reinforced. Without enough electricity, a lot of very good things to help people around the world just cannot happen.

Power Kicks don’t claim to be the total solution the world’s electricity problem, but the tiny generator looks to provide enough power to keep devices at 100% at the very least. The Booster modules, the sneaker’s generators, are attached to their soles and turns kinetic energy into electrical energy with no more than a firm press of finger. In this case, though, body weight will be routinely applied, generating up to 5mW per shoe for a total of 10mW. And no, devices won’t need to be connected directly to the Power Kicks as the Booster modules will be easily detachable to serve as spare batteries. With no moving parts present, the Booster modules look like they’ll last a long time. Interested backers can grab a pair for $250. The $42,000 campaign is looking to ship the product out by July 2015.

The area of self-power generation is becoming increasingly crowded as more and more products are introduced, making it for an interesting sector. Products like the SolarHug and the Carbon make a fashion statement while keeping the power flowing, so it’s only a matter of time before more articles of clothing and accessories that go with them eventually get the same treatment. Sneakers are a good choice, but are subject to people’s own style. An attachable unit that happens to be universal might be a better fit.

Categories
Apparel Kids/Babies

MittGrips hold onto kids’ mittens, keeps their little wrists warm

Little kids love the winter. For them, it’s a time of sledding, snowman building and tubing. For parents, it’s usually a hassle trying to get kids all bundled up for the outdoors. Those little ones always seem to lose their mittens and risk getting frost bitten.

MittGrips are a solution to this problem. These mitten holders slip over mittens or gloves after they’ve been put on. There’s a thumb loop that keeps them secure. After putting them on, then goes the jacket. This way, kids can keep their mittens on while also having a layer of protection against the cold and snow.

While this is a fun project that will prove useful to all wintertime families, it’s so simple that a pair can actually be made from an old long-sleeve shirt. However, for those who aren’t as handy, one pair can be had for $10 CAD (~$8 USD) for estimated delivery in March. MittGrips is hoping to raise $18,000 CAD (~$14,900 USD) on Kickstarter.