New Nike shoes revealed have technology so adaptive, it automatically ties your shoes to the perfect tightness. Want to tighten or loosen? Simply push a button on the HyperAdapt sneaks. One less thing to teach a 5 year-old these days.
Feeling it out:
“Wouldn’t it be great if a shoe, in the future, could sense when you needed to have it tighter or looser? Could it take you even tighter than you’d normally go if it senses you really need extra snugness in a quick maneuver? That’s where we’re headed. In the future, product will come alive.” NIKE, Inc. President & CEO Mark Parker
For a certain subset of the population, tying laces is a true inconvenience. These people are usually also paid tens of millions of dollars to play sports for a living, but just think about it…with all the advances in technology, it seems a Nike shoe is the next logical place to fold into the IoT space. Nike has been adding in connectivity features into its shoes for years like the 2015 Nike Mag shoes and, of course, Nike+, but this is another solid leap in footwear.
How it works:
The heart of the Nike innovation lies in a sensor inside the HyperAdapt shoes. When you step in, the system will automatically tighten after your heel hits the sensor in the shoes. It tells the sneaker’s brain to adjust the laces using a small, charged motor. Nike also states that as the laces start to lock in the foot, the brain actively measures the “attention” between the foot and the system until it reaches a snug fit, and automatically stops. If you want to adjust the shoe or get out of them, simply push one of the two buttons to tighten or loosen
For athletes this is a game changer (pun intended) because of the ability to make swift micro-adjustments. Undue pressure caused by tight tying and slippage resulting from loose laces are now a problem of the past, says Nike. Precise, consistent, personalized lockdown can now be manually adjusted on the fly. “That’s an important step, because feet undergo an incredible amount of stress during competition,” says Nike’s CEO.
The Nike shoes and its technology have been in development for over 10 years, according to media reports. And according to Nike’s Senior Innovator, “there’s potential for the technology become embedded into all types of athletic footwear, from basketball to soccer, and could serve as an injury deterrent.”
Fine Print:
Just like your iPhone and iPad, these smart shoes have a battery and require a charge every 2 weeks. So purchasing the HyperAdapt shoes also adds them to your list of “devices” to charge. Also, Nike says the sneakers have been water-tested, but it doesn’t recommend wearing them out in a rainstorm.
Get it now:
The Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 shoes will be available only to members of Nike+ beginning Holiday 2016 in three colors. The Nike+ app will be revamped in June. Pricing details not available yet. Sign up for notifications here.
