Courtesy of Laurie Orlov

by Laurie Orlov

Another long-awaited device has arrived for wanderers and their caregivers. We should beware of pre-announcements. However, GTX has announced that the long-awaited GPS shoe (let's call that 'footware') will be available in October (that’s now!) for $299, enabling a geo-fence to be set for the wearer, alerting caregivers when the shoe travels outside of the specified area. In a Paula Span NY Times article, Andrew Carle, the coiner of "Nana technology" (microchip technology for use with older adults) and a professor at George Mason University, argues for the GPS shoe. Carle suggested the idea to Aetrex, the shoe manufacturer, which first announced that it was going to begin product testing in 2009. I got pretty excited by that too in 2009, but after placing a call every six months to learn that it was not available, I gave up.

So this is a remarkable advance, right? Combining GPS tracking with an orthopedic shoe is progress over WanderGuard type devices, mobile PERS (personal emergency response service), and other tracking variants, according to Carle. Carle as quoted in Span’s article says:

"GPS devices carried in pockets, worn on wristbands or clipped to clothing are less reliable aids, Mr. Carle said, because people can and do lose or remove them. Ditto for bracelets or pendants bearing their names and family contact numbers. They may be less likely, however, to take off their shoes. The GPS Shoe, manufactured by a New Jersey company, hides a miniature locator in the heel of one shoe and counterweighs the other so they feel balanced."

So what’s happened since 2009?