'Gamer' shoes may be step in wrong direction

(Credit: Shiny Shiny)

As the consuming world still tries to figure out if it likes musical footwear it's probably a good bet that shoes designed to look like game controllers won't be a huge hit anytime soon.

It would be one thing if they worked remotely, kind of like DDR for Gears of War, but we're talking about a shoe--and nothing more--with a sole that's embedded with ersatz buttons resembling those of an Xbox controller. Shiny Shiny says the footwear, made by Heelys as part of its new "Gamer" line, will arrive on the market just in time for Christmas bundled with four free titles.

If you're an aging Boomer who's too old for games, you can always hold out for a CD-playing shoe.