VR’s Unique Locomotion Device ‘Cybershoes’ Closes Permanently

Oh man, here’s the scoop – Cybershoes, that funky VR gizmo company, just threw in the towel. Yup, they’re done. It’s kinda sad, but hey, what can you do? Dicey world out there for VR gadgets.

So, it all started crumbling back a couple years ago. Antony ‘Skarred Ghost’ Vitillo dropped the bomb first – said production had already hit the breaks ages ago. Then 2024 rolls around and poof, one branch bites the dust. By April 2025? Donezo. Austria’s once-proud VR innovator officially packed it up.

The co-founder, Igor Mitric Lavovski, spilled the beans on LinkedIn. What a way to get your news, huh? “Cybershoes GmbH was officially shut down a month ago,” he said. Just out there, flat and honest.

And here’s the kicker, ’cause Austrian law is a whole thing – they gotta file for insolvency within like 60 days if stuff goes sour. There’s probably some paperwork drama going down. Maybe we’ll hear more soon? Andreas Howadt, some Vienna legal whiz, might tell us what’s up.

Oh, and about Cybershoes themselves – these weren’t your run-of-the-mill VR treadmills. No sir. They weren’t about making you sprint in place like a hamster. You sat, kind of steered wheels on your shoes while your mind was off in some virtual wonderland. It was wild – like your feet trying to moonwalk while you park it on a chair.

Can you believe they started back in 2018? Small fry, right? Didn’t even need capital big shots breathing down their necks. They kicked things off with Kickstarter. Raised over €200,000, turned 3D dreams into reality – actual shoes on your feet. Then they hit up IndieGogo, snagged €140,000 more. People dug them! Or they were just really curious, who knows?

2020? Oh boy, they took another stab with a new Kickstarter, trying to make it friendly with the Quest VR gigs. Only pulled in half the cash, though. About $98,000. Bummer.

Fast forward, and stores are dry. Nothing in stock. Like trying to find snow in the desert. Amazon said their last Quest-compatible pair sold out in late 2024. That’s the latest chapter in the Cybershoes saga – check out Vitillo’s Quest review if you wanna relive the rollercoaster.

Okay, where was I? Right, Cybershoes. Someday, maybe we’ll see them again. Or not. Life’s weird like that.