Nike is yet to deliver on its promise to bring us the self-lacing MAG shoes made infamous by Michael J Fox in Back to the Future II, but it’s done the next best thing.
The company’s new HyperAdapt 1.0 tightens around your foot as soon as your heel slips into the shoe and activates the sensor inside. It also has two buttons on the side to adjust the fit.
Shoe designer Tinker Hatfield says that the next step for Nike would be to build on this platform and create shoes that can automatically sense when you need them to tighten and adjust accordingly — something that he believes is crucial to aid atheletic performance.
While the idea of a self-lacing shoe is indeed compelling, I can’t but shake my head at the HyperAdapt’s lights underneath the arch of the foot. I enjoy cutting-edge sneakers just as much as the next guy, but the last person I saw with glowing footwear was a five-year-old.
The HyperAdapt 1.0 is slated to go on sale this holiday season in three colorways, but you’ll need to be a Nike+ member to get a pair. The company hasn’t announced pricing yet.
The 💜 of EU tech
The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!
➤ Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 manifests the unimaginable [Nike News]
Get the TNW newsletter
Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.