Is there anything more annoying than a pair of talking shoes? Probably not

Art, Copy & Code has partnered with artist Zach Lieberman, Google, and interactive collective YesYesNo to create what it calls a smart talking sneaker with personality.

The Talking Shoe, which Google has been showing at the South by Southwest (SXSW) tech conference in Austin, Texas, includes an accelerometer, gyroscope, Bluetooth and other everyday technologies, that combine to “translate the wearer’s movements into funny, motivating and timely commentary”. In the video that shows off the sneakers, example phrases include “This is super boring” (when you’re just sitting around), “I love the feeling of wind in my laces”, “Are you a statue? Let’s do this already” and “Call 911 because you’re on fire”.

Apparently what the shoes say can be posted to Google+ by the user, sent to real-time ad units, or broadcast to the world via onboard speakers.

The shoes are a very early prototype (the design, which includes a fat speaker and a circuit board on the tongue, wouldn't look out of place in Back to the Future), and it's not something that’s intended to actually ever make it to market -- at least not in its current incarnation -- but as with Google Glass they hint at a future filled with wearable technology.

Obviously, no one would ever want to own a pair of sneakers that shout embarrassing things like “You’ve made a very proud shoe” when you take them off, but we can all see the possibilities offered by Google Glass and there’s been a lot of buzz about Apple’s rumored iWatch.

What do you think about the idea of wearable tech? Inevitable and the next step forward, or a ridiculous idea that you would rather avoid altogether. Comments below please.