German sportswear company Puma is rereleasing its majestically geeky 1986 RS-Computer running shoe, but there’s a major catch.
The original RS-Computer shoes were released in 1986 and were light years ahead of their time, effectively amounting to one of the very first wearables. At a time when Wham! were crushing it in the UK music charts, that gorgeously chunky heel contained a computer chip (or “electronic device” in 80s marketing speak) that tracked the three most important fitness metrics for runners: distance, time and calories burned.
It connected to old school Apple and IBM PCs, as well as – god this feels good to write – the Commodore 64, via a 16-pin connector. Combined with the “special software” you’d boot up from a floppy disk, you’d see your workout data visualised on screen in glorious 8-bit graphics.
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The RS-Computer reissue will maintain these retro graphics in a companion app as a homage to the original shoes, but add a bunch of 2018 functionality, including a three-axis accelerometer, LED indicators, a USB charging port and Bluetooth connectivity.
That’s the good news. We think you’ll agree that rereleasing the RS-Computer trainers is pretty much the best idea ever, but unfortunately, it’s time to set fire to all your holiday hopes and dreams.
In reference to the year of the original design, only 86 refreshed pairs (each individually numbered) will go on sale this December 13 at Puma’s flagship stores in Berlin, Tokyo and London (Carnaby Street), as well as select KITH stores.
There’s also no word on the price, and we can’t see them being cheap, but then how can you possibly put a value on a piece of both fashion and technology history?
Yeah, that’s what we thought. See you in the queue.
How much would you pay for the new Puma RS Computer shoes? Let us know on Twitter @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
