Brought to heel: the new implant service begins on 1 April

Brought to heel: the new implant service begins on 1 April

Walkers of a certain age may remember the Wayfinders children’s shoe that had a tiny compass in its heel to help junior adventurers find their way.

Now, a Keswick outdoors retailer is bringing the idea up-to-date with a high-tech service to implant a mini-tracker in boots and shoes.

George Fisher has added the self-tracking footwear service to its existing boot-fitting room at its Lake District shop.

A company spokesperson said: “Aimed at walkers and runners who want to track their mileage, but don’t want the hassle or cost of a full GPS device, the mini-tracker is implanted within the heel of the shoe or boot in a simple procedure.

“Once activated, the tracker operates without batteries as the simple action of walking or running generates sufficient power to charge the built-in energy source.

“The device has been created by Aprilone, a leading Italian outdoor technology company, and has gained the approval of mountain rescue teams.

The idea is an update of the original 1960s Wayfarers concept

The original 1960s Wayfarers concept

“Linked to a new Find my Feet app, the device allows users to track their walk, log calories used, and in an emergency the signal can be picked up by rescue teams using their Sarloc logging screens.”

The new self-tracker fitting service begins on Sunday 1 April.

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