Why did I spend all this time walking normally, like an idiot? What Happened When I Tried Moonwalkers
Walking is fine, isn't it, but it's a bit slow. A bit heavy. Wouldn't it be nice if you could walk, but, like, go faster? That's the premise of the Moonwalkers: a pair of roller shoes that promise you can walk at racing speed, with zero effort to run. "Walk as you normally do, and our AI adapts to you," the website reads. “It's not skating; it's really walking so no new skills needed to learn. »
The Moonwalkers sounded perfect. I don't like learning new skills, but I like the idea of going faster without putting in the extra effort. It was enough. On a cold winter afternoon, I meet Joseph Yang, the lead software engineer for Moonwalkers at Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City, facing a swirling Hudson River. Yang, 26, pulls a pair of vaunted Moonwalkers out of a canvas bag and sets them on the ground.
They look like a cross between Fisher roller skates -Price that children fell victim to in the 1980s and the silly sandals that men sometimes wear. But they're black, which matches my boots, and they have stylish yellow highlights that add a bit of fun to the proceedings. Under Yang's direction, I strap the Moonwalkers onto my shoes and slump a bit, bending my knees and lifting my feet up and down. The shoes are quite heavy and it's like pulling my feet out of the mud. I'm a bit skeptical.
"Feel the weight and bulk, get used to it," Yang says. He watches patiently as I strut, feeling the weight of the shoes.
"OK, it's very simple," Yang said. “Look ahead for good balance, then just walk. The harder you push on the ground, the faster it goes. .dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class=" dcr-173mewl">
I do I'm told, treading carefully. I once went to a roller disco, so I'm aware of the inherent betrayal of roller shoes. Yang senses my reluctance and tells me to move on. I step forward a bit. The wheels aren't spinning wildly, like they did when I bruised my coccyx at St. Teresa's Parish Hall in 1998. They're starting to move, slowly. I continue to walk and then… it works. I walk slowly, but I go fast.
The shoes, which are basically what happens when you put a motor in some skate s on wheels, are great. When I back up, a motor slows the 10 wheels of the sole, straightening me. When I involuntarily tip forward, the wheels seem to accelerate a bit and I don't end up falling.
Within minutes I'm up and down the sidewalk. under the Brooklyn Bridge. I walk slowly, but am traveling - according to Yang - at 250% of my usual walking speed.
It's an eye opener. I fly. i am like the
Walking is fine, isn't it, but it's a bit slow. A bit heavy. Wouldn't it be nice if you could walk, but, like, go faster? That's the premise of the Moonwalkers: a pair of roller shoes that promise you can walk at racing speed, with zero effort to run. "Walk as you normally do, and our AI adapts to you," the website reads. “It's not skating; it's really walking so no new skills needed to learn. »
The Moonwalkers sounded perfect. I don't like learning new skills, but I like the idea of going faster without putting in the extra effort. It was enough. On a cold winter afternoon, I meet Joseph Yang, the lead software engineer for Moonwalkers at Brooklyn Bridge Park in New York City, facing a swirling Hudson River. Yang, 26, pulls a pair of vaunted Moonwalkers out of a canvas bag and sets them on the ground.
They look like a cross between Fisher roller skates -Price that children fell victim to in the 1980s and the silly sandals that men sometimes wear. But they're black, which matches my boots, and they have stylish yellow highlights that add a bit of fun to the proceedings. Under Yang's direction, I strap the Moonwalkers onto my shoes and slump a bit, bending my knees and lifting my feet up and down. The shoes are quite heavy and it's like pulling my feet out of the mud. I'm a bit skeptical.
"Feel the weight and bulk, get used to it," Yang says. He watches patiently as I strut, feeling the weight of the shoes.
"OK, it's very simple," Yang said. “Look ahead for good balance, then just walk. The harder you push on the ground, the faster it goes. .dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement" class=" dcr-173mewl">
I do I'm told, treading carefully. I once went to a roller disco, so I'm aware of the inherent betrayal of roller shoes. Yang senses my reluctance and tells me to move on. I step forward a bit. The wheels aren't spinning wildly, like they did when I bruised my coccyx at St. Teresa's Parish Hall in 1998. They're starting to move, slowly. I continue to walk and then… it works. I walk slowly, but I go fast.
The shoes, which are basically what happens when you put a motor in some skate s on wheels, are great. When I back up, a motor slows the 10 wheels of the sole, straightening me. When I involuntarily tip forward, the wheels seem to accelerate a bit and I don't end up falling.
Within minutes I'm up and down the sidewalk. under the Brooklyn Bridge. I walk slowly, but am traveling - according to Yang - at 250% of my usual walking speed.
It's an eye opener. I fly. i am like the
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