Treadways: the future is zippy

Posted On July 12, 2010

by Nick Leftley

Peter Treadway is – as the oldest cliché in journalism would have it – a man on a mission: he wants to revamp your idea of public transport. Not by attempting some impossible, Herculean revamp of the sprawling mess of trains and busses that rattle through the dusty heart of his hometown of Los Angeles, of course – that, as any resident of the local bug house could tell you, is a mad man’s dream. Instead, Treadway wants to pep up the most annoying part of the journey: those ten minutes or so at either end between the last stop and your final destination. And how does he want to do this? Rocket skates!

Well, not quite. But it’s close enough as ideas go to have us bouncing in our seats with anticipation: the Treadway. Although still in the experimental stage at the moment, Peter Treadway’s experience in clothes design and his own men’s bag line, Acton Treadway, should ensure that the end product is as stylish as it is a complete blast to use. We got Peter on the phone to find out how the project’s going.

Can you explain exactly what the Treadway is?

They are wearable motorized transportation. I used to refer to them as the Treadway, but they’ve moved on to “Treadways” now, which has everything to do with coming as a pair. You can strap them onto any shoes you wear.

Where did the idea come from?

I started out many years ago trying to attach springs to my legs, back in the 90s. I had a lot of fun with that, but now it’s actually a commercial product that has nothing to do with me.

I’ve always kind of been a car guy, so I started to integrate my interests of apparel with those of transportation, and that’s when I started to take seriously the idea that this could be a product one day. The fact I was in L.A., dealing with the day-to-day problems of transportation, made me think, why not extend people’s range, and give them the experience of things being closer together? Perhaps this will enable use of public transportation in a way that actually works. It’s anybody’s guess whether the product will ultimately do that, but that was the idea behind the design.

How far along are you with the product?

It’s pretty far along at this point. I need to go wireless and lighten all the materials, but I’m hoping they’ll be ready for production at the end of this year.

How much are they likely to cost?

I’ll give you a number, but take it with a grain of salt! I’m hoping they’ll be around $200.

Just how portable are they?

We’re looking at a target weight of around three or four pounds per foot. When it’s finished, the idea is that, when you pop it off your shoe, it’ll be basically flat. Although, most of the time, I think they’ll either be on your feet or plugged into the wall. Maybe I’ll design a bag for them!

What have been the biggest challenges with getting a project like this off the ground?

Some people think it’s too dangerous, others think it’s going to turn everyone into obese couch potatoes. They’re pretty polarized opinions. I think the overall problem, though, was miniaturization – making everything fit.

Are you concerned about possible comparisons to the Segway?

I’ve had many conversations with the people from Segway, and they’re like, “Go for it!” They’re enthused about it. I don’t know what their secret opinions are about the project, but it’s ok because the Segway, in some way, provides a lead-in to a product like this. It sort of succeeded and failed at the same time: it’s still going, but it didn’t take off like they wanted it to, but it definitely changed the playing field a little bit.

What advice have you got for people with an idea like this, who want to get it out there?

There are a few philosophies out there that use death as an advisor. Not in a morbid way, but just to think, “At the end of my life, when I look back on this, did I do it, or did I not do it?” I’ve loved and hated this process – it has not been easy, but I’ve kept going because I know if I don’t do it, I’ll be so angry with myself later. The recession has been no small mountain to climb, but I really want to make this happen. I want to zip around!