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Magnetic trainers recreate sensation of walking on the moon

New York startup Moonshine Crea's MoonWalker trainers use layers of magnets to replicate the feeling of walking in low-gravity environments.

According to the company, which raised funding for the footwear on Indigogo, the shoes let owners experience "what it feels like to walk on the moon".

The trainers feature thick soles that contain two layers of magnets, arranged so that they repel one another and push the layers apart. This leaves wearers "floating like an astronaut" as they take steps.

Although there is no weight limit for the shoes, the company suggests they work best for those that are less than 130 kilograms.

The MoonWalkers resemble laceless plimsoles, and are available in a range of colour combinations including grey and white, blue and green, and light blue and dark blue.

The trainers are made from DuPont Tyvek synthetic polyethylene, which is the same material used by NASA in space station modules. The shoes also contain insoles made from memory foam, which gradually shapes itself to the wearer's foot.

Owners can also link their MoonWalkers to their social media, and the trainers can display messages on their exterior using an e-ink display integrated into the base.

Moonshine Crea launched the trainers on Indiegogo, and at the time of writing had achieved $98,148 (£68,000), despite only setting an initial goal of $20,000 (£14,000). The shoes, which will only be available in adult sizes, are set to be released in August 2016.

The trainers feature thick soles that contain two layers of magnets, arranged so that they repel one another and push the layers apart

Startup shoe brand Shiftwear also found success on the crowdfunding platform, raising support for its collection of trainers that could be customised with moving images via an app.

Other unusual trainers include Digitsole's Back to the Future-style self-lacing trainers, launched at CES 2016,  and a concept trainer made from plastic filtered out of the oceans, designed by adidas.

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