ART, CONTENT + CREATIVE, STRATEGY, TECHNOLOGY

NEELY 33 SOUND SHOE

Margo Neely | UMass Amherst College of Engineering
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Margo Neely, CEO of Neely & Daughters, is the creator and inventor of the Neely 33 Sound Shoe: a digital tap shoe that allows the user, amateur or professional, to create digital beats and rhythms with movement. This innovative concept shoe allows the wearer to digitally make beats using embedded triggers. The fully functional prototype shoe is USB, WiFi, and bluetooth enabled, with trigger-sensors connecting remotely to existing music/beat creation apps (eg, Abelton, Reason, Loopy et al.) available on iPhone, Android, and desktop. Without a single dollar spent on promotion or marketing, Margo Neely’s original Neely Air sneaker concept organically captured over 54 million fans worldwide, and has achieved 6.21 Billion in media reach through the organic (viral) publication of nearly 350 feature stories about the work in major global media outlets (Gizmodo, DJ Mag, MSN, BBC, CNN, et al.)

A major New York City Public Relations firm gave Margo Neely’s visibility and the reach of the viral public relations campaign a reverse valuation of $19—32 MILLION Dollars, calling her work, “Kim Kardashian ‘Break the Internet’ Lever Stuff.” Work began in 2020 with the University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Engineering MIE capstone design project (Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering) to produce the first ever working prototype of the shoe; Under the guidance of Professor Jim Lagrant and Margo Neely, Team Leader Ethan Jenkins, Greg Gunsalus, Kyle Early, and Samuel John brought the Neely 33 Sound Shoe prototype into the world in December 2023.

Read about the Neely 33 Sound Shoe unveiling HERE

global audience metrics for the original Neely Air Custom Concept

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Flattering Words From
Distinguished Professionals

  • In what could be the most fucking cool shit I’ve ever seen, a new sneaker design which incorporates the iconic black, red, orange and yellow 808 design has been unveiled. Not only that, but apparently the sneakers also function as a drum machine. Swish.

    Vice
    Vice
  • The machine even survives purely as a design object: The row of red, orange, yellow and white buttons across its front panel, representing a bar of music as 16 programmable "steps," has inspired a conceptual Adidas sneaker that would sell by the boatload if it were real.

    NPR Music
    NPR Music
  • Adidas has style. Wes Anderson has even more style... Meanwhile, we’re still waiting for them to dust off the TR-808 inspired kicks.

    Happy Mag
    Happy Mag
  • Taking its design cues from the legendary TR-808 drum machine, the New York based digital engineers Neely and Daughters dreamed up this prototype. On top of its impeccable styling, the sneaker features tempo control, a start/stop button, speakers, USB port, wi-fi, and bluetooth built-in... Talk about an incredible innovation!

    Gizmodo Japan
    Gizmodo Japan
  • The QUARTZ Obsession: a daily digression into the most fascinating corners of the global economy. September 22, 2017: Viral Wonders | A Fitting Tribute: The The TR-808 drum machine and the TR-808 prototype sneaker by Neely & Daughters.

    QUARTZ
    QUARTZ
  • Margo and her firm have been inundated with requests and offers from all sorts of top brands in the electronic music industry. And now Margo and her team are hard at work on a “revolutionary product” that, she claims, will surpass the TR-808 trainers in every conceivable way. There’s talk of lifestyle, wearables and game-changing, which all sounds very exciting. If any of Margo’s enthusiasm and self-belief could ever materialise as a product then I think it’s going to be awesome.

    Gearnews
    Gearnews
  • The Neely Air TR-808 customs: The #1 Most Popular story of 2017. By far this scoop on the concept Adidas Roland TR-808 shoes grabbed our attention and yours more than any other story. The best thing: these shoes went viral afterwards and the story isn’t over yet…

    Ask Audio
    Ask Audio

Awards and Honors

neely-ask-audio-awards
"#1 Story of 2017"AskAudio
neely-mixdown-awards
"Top 10 Unconventional Products 2017"Mixdown
neely-quartz-awards
"Viral Wonders"Quartz | Obsession
neely-disruptor-awards
"A Fitting Tribute"The Disruptor Awards Blog
neely-dj-mag-awards
"Trends 2018"DJ Mag España
neely-gouden-kabouter-awards
"Most Innovative Creative Campaign"Gouden Kabouter Nominee 2018

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* The Neely Air mi adidas | Roland TR-808 custom concept was not solicited by and is not endorsed by Roland Corporation or adidas. It is purely an artistic concept.

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