IllUMI. Premium no LED-dots light-up sneakers from Antwerp
IllUMI has been launched with the objective of perfecting the light-up sneaker concept as it is widely known and commercially established.
We are here to light up the night in the coolest and most upscale way possible: a super clean design, only the best materials such as ultra-premium leather, supreme light without LED-dots.
It took us almost 4 years of research and prototyping in collaboration with specialised technology brands, LED manufacturers and universities to successfully create the perfect light-up sneaker as well as to set up the ideal workflow and production process.
LED us shine a new light on the sneaker scene!
The idea behind IllUMI dates back to about 4 years ago at a restaurant table in Antwerp (Belgium) where the two founders, Ivan De Goeyse & Mareno De Kort, were having dinner.
Out of the blue, Ivan mentioned to Mareno that he always wanted to own a pair of light-up sneakers when he was young. Unfortunately, he never could convince his parents to buy him a pair. Mareno -the caring friend he is- immediately grabbed his phone and did a Google search: there were in fact only very few light-up shoes out there. And those that were available, looked terrible and childish.
Overwhelmed by youth sentiment and entrepreneurial enthusiasm, the two partners decided to try and fulfil Ivan’s childhood dream. From that moment on, IllUMI was born. Their goal: to create the first luxury light-up sneakers without LED-dots; the perfect shoe to light up the night but also a more than decent and discrete fit (lights off, obviously!) for a business meeting or dinner party.
It took Team llUMI a long time (almost 4 years) partnering up with the right suppliers and manufacturers. They wanted to surround themselves and their brand with the very best in the global sneaker and LED-technology scene: from the soles to the leather to the LED-lights, everything had and still has to be of outstanding quality. After years of hard work, research, prototyping and collaborations, they’ve reached the point where they are at now.
IllUMI has succeeded in perfecting nearly every aspect of the production and assembly process, but needs one last push. One last push to help Ivan (and by extent the rest of the world) to walk the night in the best light-up shoes ever made.
And that’s where YOU (and Kickstarter) comes in…
Our sneaker prototypes have now been tweaked to perfection surviving all possible tests we could throw at them. We need the Kickstarter family’s help to take them into production and to deliver them to our clients’ door steps, so they too can start walking the night.
Adjustable light fit for every situation. Off during the day, switch to ghost in a bar or restaurant, normal when going out or boost when you really want to stand out. Or try them with the motion sensitive setting in one of the three intensity’s and light up every step you take or move you make.
Just lift the footbed and plug the included double mini-usb adaptor in your Nightwalkers to recharge.
Your Nightwalkers will last over 8 hours on one charge in normal mode and the battery will last several thousand charges.
With your backing we will be able to produce 500 pairs of Nightwalkers.
Because the manufacturing of the custom-made electronics is the longest part of our production process we have already ordered these months ago and except for our super cool button-boards, which will arrive in 4 weeks time, we now have all the electronics for the 500 pairs in stock.
We need your backing to produce 500 pairs of soles, install all the electronics, hand-make the fine calfskin-leather uppers and put them all together to create your unique premium and incredibly cool pairs of Nightwalkers.
It has taken 4 years of hard work and now we are so close to realizing Ivan’s dream and sending these incredible shoes into the world, so please give us that last push and light up the night with us!