Okay, so here’s the deal — Cybershoes, that quirky little VR gadget company, just closed up shop. I mean, can you believe it? I remember stumbling across their stuff a few years back, and thinking, “What on earth is this contraption?” It was kind of like a treadmill for your feet but… you know… not quite.
Anyway, it gets more interesting. This guy, Antony ‘Skarred Ghost’ Vitillo, was the first to spill the beans. Apparently, they stopped making these shoe gadgets two years ago. Oh, and in 2024, one of their branches just vanished. Poof. Gone. Fast forward to April 2025, and that’s all she wrote. Austria-based and all! Yeah, Austria. Who knew?
A co-founder named Igor Mitric Lavovski even threw a post up on LinkedIn. Said the company was officially done. Like the final curtain call. Not that I stalk founders on LinkedIn or anything — okay, maybe I do. But that’s not the point!
So, these Austrian businesses have this thing where they’ve gotta file for bankruptcy if they’re in financial hot water. Legal stuff, you know? Like 60 days to declare, or else… well, not sure what the “or else” is, but it sounds kinda serious.
Now, if you haven’t tried these things, Cybershoes weren’t like your average VR treadmills. No, no. You’d sit down and strap these roller-shoes onto your feet. Then, you’d move through virtual worlds, all while seated. Wild, right?
They kicked off in 2018 and somehow thrived without big venture capital bucks. Honestly, how many companies can do that? Hats off to them. They ran a Kickstarter, raked in over €200,000! That’s a lot of moolah for 3D printed stuff, but hey, it worked.
In 2019, IndieGogo happened. Another €140,000 from folks who clearly believed in walking without, well, really walking. Then came round two with Kickstarter in 2020, geared more towards Quest users. It didn’t do quite as hot — only $98,000. Not pocket change, but still.
As of now? Nada on their official store or on Amazon. Those things are rarer than hen’s teeth now. They were running low by late 2024, if you believe Amazon price trackers. Yeah, I might spend too much time on those sites. Sue me.
So yeah, if you feel nostalgic or just curious about Cybershoes’ tale of rise and fall, go peek at Vitillo’s review. Could be a rabbit hole worth diving into. Who knows?
