Chima Imoh and the Smart Shoe That Tracks More Than Steps

I’m with Chima Imoh, who shows me a working prototype of smart footwear he’s building through MíMíroír Technologies. The shoe has a screen, tracks steps, connects to a phone by Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and runs through an app, with ideas like gamification and left-right haptic feedback to guide movement. Chima shares that he started developing the concept while incarcerated at 18, using that time to learn, think, and build a wider wearable tech ecosystem that begins with shoes. When I ask about a costly mistake, he talks about an early build where he cut soles and ran a ton of wire through the shoe, then realized a simpler approach: treat the tech like a removable pod and keep the cavity open for upgrades. He breaks down a key point about inventing: getting an idea on paper and protecting the IP is step one, but building a successful business is a different challenge. Right now, his biggest hurdle is funding, because investors care most about returns, so he keeps pushing forward by bootstrapping and staying unshakable.