Las Vegas’s Consumer Electronics Show is always something to look forward to at the beginning of the year. From the latest tech displays, to the products we someday won’t be without, which items made waves at the event?

As we imagined, Virtual Reality looks likely to continue to explode this year, and one such company has taken the technology to new heights. Japanese brand Cerevo revealed its latest invention at the show- footwear in the form of black platform sandals, that enables the wearer to feel like he or she is walking on different surfaces, such as concrete or snow. The shoes, named Taclim, are designed to be worn in conjunction with a VR headset, and will also monitor the user’s actions, from when he or she is walking, kicking, or making other foot-related moves as a character in a game for instance. The sandals do however come with a hefty price- they’ll be selling for a reported $1000-$1500 when they’re released to the public later this year.

Wearables was another trend which has showed no signs of slowing down this year. We loved the fact that the traditional wrist watch was abandoned in many cases, in favour of some niftier gadgets. For instance, tech company Motiv debuted their fitness tracking ring, which includes fitness and sleep monitoring, a pedometer and calorie counter, an optical heart sensor, as well as a long battery life that can last between three and five days. Then there was Plume Labs’ Flow Tracker, a wearable that monitors the user’s surrounding air pollution, tracking aspects such as the environment’s nitrogen dioxide content, humidity levels, temperature, and any noxious particles. Aside from its use-value for those who live in especially polluted areas, we also like the fact that the device can be clipped discreetly to the user’s bag.

It was great to see another useful home device on display, and particularly one that won’t break the bank. While acquiring a smart fridge might seem like an impossible dream for many of us, there’s luckily a new product that can perform a similar task. The Fridge Cam, created by British company Smarter, is a new device that can take pictures of the items inside your fridge whenever the door is closed. Using visual recognition tools, it can then let the user know when products need to be repurchased, or when something is expiring. And at just $149, it is compatible with any standard fridge, meaning we won’t especially need to purchase Samsung’s or LG’s latest offerings- although they do look extremely tempting!

In terms of other smart home-related news, it was device compatibility with Amazon Alexa that was this year’s biggest talking point. Amazon’s answer to rival voice assistants from Google and Apple, is Alexa, first seen integrated into the company’s Echo and Echo Dot speakers. A number of brands debuted their latest products featuring Alexa compatibility at CES, with those including LG, Ford, Samsung and Lenovo making it their voice assistant of choice. LG, for instance, have included Alexa functionality within their new Smart InstaView fridge, while Samsung has launched its Alexa-powered vacuum cleaner, the Powerbot VR7000, which is completely voice controlled. Lenovo and Omaker have also jumped on the heels of Amazon, including Alexa compatibility in their own speakers, showing how other tech companies are free to use the software in their products. And perhaps one of the biggest showcases this year came from Ford, who have added Alexa controls to their several of their new car models which feature the company’s Sync 3 infotainment system.

Did you catch any of the events at this year’s show? And which products were your favourites? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so please tweet to us @PracticeDigital and share your comments on our Facebook page.