Forget the TVs and speakers, this sneaker-cleaning robot won CES

Each year CES comes through for us with something totally new that can sometimes appear a bit whacky – yet we usually look back in years to come and its the new normal.

This year is no different with a new category of device in the Brolan ClearX. It's the ultimate robotic cleaner for your kicks.

Unlike throwing your footwear in the washing machine, this won't potentially damage your sneakers and will actually give them a specific clean.

The ClearX uses dedicated rollers, "micro-nano bubble tech" and a closed door system so it all works automatically. It's a bit like a mini car wash really, only far cuter.

All that means the rollers can move in and out as well as up and down. This keeps your footwear in one safe place, as the cleaning goes on around them. Ideal for shoe collectors or families that need to regularly clean mucky footwear.

So while this can fill with warm and soapy water, the bot can also scrub using those rollers and rinse down after. The end result should be almost box fresh kicks that look, feel and – crucially – smell better than ever.

This model even dries them afterwards – one of the trickier parts of washing footwear, especially when you don't want to damage or shrink them with too much heat. This is built to dry them perfectly, keeping them safe and at the size you bought them.

This model only takes one pair at a time. But, with a large space, these can house adult sneakers with ease and ensure they're kept protected throughout the process.

Brolan ClearX: pricing and availability

The Brolan ClearX was shown off at CES for the first time, so specifics are still being kept quiet. However, the brand plans to launch them fully on Kickstarter soon (which seems apt) and they'll be available sometime after March this year.

The price is said to be "under $1,000". What that ends up meaning remains to be seen, but here's hoping it's well under that price point.

You can find out more on the Brolan website.