UK-based startup Freeaim kicked off a new Kickstarter campaign yesterday to support the release of a pair of motorized shoes designed to enable natural walking in VR, essentially giving your feet two independent treadmills to walk on.
VR treadmills are usually pretty costly and bulky, which means they mostly appeal to enterprise. Now, Freeaim has unveiled its VR Shoes, which aims to reduce the cost and footprint of immersive VR locomotion devices.
Freeaim VR Shoes so this by incorporating robotic wheels and motion sensors to simulate walking in place while allowing users to move freely in VR.
Freeaim is offering two versions of the device, with its flagship ‘VR Shoes Advanced’ featuring rotating wheel modules that can automatically reposition the wearer to prevent drifting from a designated play area. This version can be used without a frame in spaces as small as 1.5 x 1.5 meters.
Its ‘VR Shoes Light’ model is a more affordable alternative, which notably lacks automatic rotation, requiring an external support frame to ensure user stability. Freeaim has developed two such optional support frames—the Hex and Swivel—designed to offer users additional balance and spatial guidance, particularly when starting out. See them in action below:
The company hasn’t announced a firm release date yet beyond its February 2026 fulfillment date, but says pricing will remain below traditional VR treadmill systems. Via the Kickstarter at least, VR Shoes Light cost as low as £799 (~$1,079), and the VR Shoes Advanced can be had for as low as £1,049 (~$1,400).
What’s more, the company has already confirmed a few Quest standalone games are supported, including VR Chat, Walking Dead Saints and Sinners 1 & 2, Until You Fall, as well as Team Beef Mods of Doom 3 and Return to Castle Wolfenstein.
Freeaim says more games will be tested for Quest, as well as AndroidXR headsets and any upcoming headset from Valve running SteamOS (aka ‘Deckard).
Freeaim’s Kickstarter has already surpassed its initial £149,000 (~$200,000) funding goal. With nearly a month left in the campaign, the project has garnered £176,000 (~$236,000) at the time of this writing.
And the company has its sights set pretty high. Stretch goals include everything from a free carry bag accessory if they hit £250,000, to discounted shipping fees if they reach £3 million. You can learn more about the Kickstarter by following the link above.
In the meantime, check out the specs below:
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