Make every step sparkle with these stomp-reactive light up slippers by Erin St Blaine. This playful wearable project uses a force-sensitive resistor tucked into the sole to detect your steps, triggering colorful NeoPixel animations as you walk, dance, or stomp around. It’s a fun and beginner-friendly way to combine soft circuits, wearables, and interactive lighting into something you can actually use (and show off).
Powered by a microcontroller running CircuitPython, the slippers respond instantly to pressure, bringing your movement to life with customizable colors and effects. The guide uses the Adafruit Feather Prop-Maker RP2040 along with a force-sensitive resistor (FSR) to sense each step and trigger animations.
From the guide:
Turn every step into a burst of light with these interactive light-up children’s animal slippers. A force-sensitive resistor tucked inside the insole detects steps, and instantly triggers animations across addressable NeoPixel LEDs, glowing in your favorite colors. As you walk, the slippers respond in real time—adding a playful, responsive layer of light to every step. Comfortable, customizable, and full of personality, this project brings wearable tech right to your child’s feet.
This guide uses a Feather PropMaker RP2040 board, and we’ve included sample CircuitPython code to get you up and running. Customize the code to make the colors and animations exactly what you want them to be, and let your animal spirit shine through.
Read more at Stomp-Reactive Light Up Slippers