Skechers skewered for adding secret Apple AirTag…
Helicopter parenting just acquired a {hardware} improve.
Skechers has launched a new youngsters’ sneaker line — “Find My Skechers” — with a covert characteristic that’s raising eyebrows: a hidden compartment under the insole, tailored for an Apple AirTag.
This sudden characteristic permits for “easy tracking and comfort of mind,” the model’s product web page boasts.
“Hidden compartment under the heel of the insole has a screw-tight cover that comfortably hides the AirTag. Apple AirTag and screwdriver not included.”
On paper, it’s a sensible repair for misplaced sneakers. In actuality? It’s a stealthy means to keep tabs on the kiddos — igniting a digital dust-up over whether or not it’s parental peace of thoughts or toddler-tailgating gone too far. SKETCHERS
From the surface, these Skechers are indistinguishable from the common line — no branding hints at the AirTag hiding inside.
The compartment’s screw-on lid retains the tracker secure, protected from curious toddlers (and would-be pocket thieves). Sizes run from toddlers to eight-year-olds, with costs beginning at $52 — AirTag offered individually.
In principle, it’s a intelligent means for dad and mom to find misplaced sneakers. In follow? It’s a means to monitor their youngsters without them figuring out — sparking an online brawl over whether or not this is parental peace of thoughts or pint-sized surveillance.
In a video posted to TikTok by @brutamerica exhibiting the new sneakers, commenters have been cut up between security and Big Brother fears. “This could end badly or good,” one wrote.
Another argued, “There’s too many kids that go missing without a trace to worry about normalizing tracking above the safety factor. If the world was a safer place we can talk about the problems of normalizing tracking all day… but it’s far too dangerous to worry about that.”
“This is actually smart,” chimed in another person.
Reactions ranged from reward for the security advantages — particularly for youngsters with particular wants — to blunt rejections and warnings that the sneakers veer into creepy, Big Brother territory. SKETCHERS
“I’m more worried abt the AirTag’s ability to handle all the normal kid activities (running, jumping, etc) while not breaking… damage to the AirTag could really hurt a kid if it’s in their shoe,” identified another person.
From the surface, these Skechers appear like any different pair, but a screw‑lid compartment hidden inside the insole secures an AirTag, with sizes from toddlers to eight‑12 months‑olds beginning at $52 — tracker offered individually. SKETCHERS
Skechers isn’t the first model to embrace AirTag accessorizing, but the sneakers often is the most discreet option yet.
Still, critics see them as a step toward normalizing fixed monitoring — until we’re all sporting GPS-ready clothes by default.
Or, as one Bluesky consumer summed up the temper: “Why have relationships when you can have dictatorship?”
Some social media customers are seeing lifesaving potential with the new Sketchers, while different critics are fearing that this new characteristic normalizes fixed surveillance. Gulnaz – stock.adobe.com
In different phrases: We’ve gone from “Be home by dinner” to “I know exactly where you are — and so do your shoes.”
As beforehand reported by The Post, rising parental anxiety has already fueled “next-level helicopter parents” — some monitoring their college-age youngsters, calling RAs and even contacting professors.
Experts warn that this fixed monitoring, however well-intentioned, can stunt independence and resilience, making it more durable for younger adults to navigate life on their own.
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