While the term wearables currently denotes high-tech smartwatches that pair with smartphones or track the wearer's activities, the term could fit any other wearable object that features functions that will be very useful to its wearer.
Leatherman, the company known for its multi-tools, will be releasing the Leatherman Tread this summer. The Tread is a first in the multi-tool industry, as it can be worn on the user's wrist.
Each link on the Tread's band looks different from one another, but that is not merely an aesthetic design. That is because each link features two to three separate functional tools, with a total of 25 usable tools for the entire Tread.
The bracelet's ingenious design is also fully customizable, with its users able to rebuild the band through slotted fasteners. The user can choose to change the order of the links, add or remove certain tools, and make adjustments on the size of the bracelet. Even the band's clasp has a function, as it can serve as either a bottle opener or a #2 square drive.
Other tools that can be found along the links of the Tread include screwdrivers, hex drives, a carbide glass breaker, box wrenches, and a SIM card pick that can also serve as a hook-style box cutter.
While the small links of the Tread may not look durable at first glance, the wearable tool is made out of metal-injected molded 17-4 stainless steel, which means that the small links will not be bending or breaking when placed under the stress of being used.
The Tread will soon feature a Swiss-made timepiece with precision quartz movement, an optional add-on that will be released in the fall.
According to Leatherman president Ben Rivera, the idea for the Tread was formed during a trip with his family to Disneyland. Rivera said that he was stopped by security at the gate of the theme park because he was found to have been in possession of an object that looked like a knife, though what the security actually saw was his Skeletool. As Rivera did not want to lose the tool, he had to walk back to his hotel room to leave it there.
"I knew there had to be another way to carry my tools with me that would be accepted by security," Rivera said. Upon returning from the trip, Rivera, who started in the Leatherman Tool Group as an engineer 24 years ago, started to wear a bracelet made out of a bike chain on his wrist to see how it feels. Rivera continuously formed his ideas then brought it to the company's engineers to develop the product.
As such, the Tread is both TSA-friendly and security-friendly, meaning that it can be taken wherever the wearer wants without having to go through security checks.
The Tread will be released later in the year, either in April or May. The stainless steel finish will carry a price tag of $150, while the black diamond-like carbon finish will carry a price tag of $200. The Tread bracelets with the Swiss-made watches, on the other hand, will carry a price tag of $500 for the stainless steel version and $600 for the black diamond-like carbon version.
