The Alzheimer's Society in Rotorua supports putting technology into a shoe to track sufferers who wander off.
A shoe-maker and a technology company in the United States are developing a miniature global positioning system, or GPS, that can be fitted into a shoe.
The society's assistant liaison officer, Elaine Fox, says it uses a tracking device embedded in a pendant, which some people tend to pull off.
Ms Fox says a device in a pair of shoes would be far more effective. Many Alzheimer's sufferers get lost when going for a walk.
She says the device can also alert families and caregivers if the shoe's wearer goes beyond a pre-set point.
Ms Fox says more than 40,000 New Zealanders suffer from some form of memory loss.
