Nike, Inc., the footwear innovator, has announced the release of the first self-tying shoe.
The Nike HyperAdapt 1.0—which the company submits as “an ultimate solution to individual idiosyncrasies in lacing and tension preference”—was announced on March 16 at the Nike Innovation Summit.
Four months earlier—in honor of “Back to the Future” Day October 21, 2015—Michael J. Fox tried on power-lacing 2015 Nike Mag shoes inspired by his 1989 blockbuster “Back to the Future Part II.”
The HyperAdapt 1.0, however, is different.
The shoe features what the company calls adaptive lacing. In addition to being a “mass-produced-custom-fit” shoe, the capacity to “make swift micro-adjustments” is another key innovation of the HyperAdapt 1.0.
“When you step in, your heel will hit a sensor and the system will automatically tighten,” Nike Senior Innovator, Tiffany Beers, explains.
“Then there are two buttons on the side to tighten and loosen. You can adjust it until it’s perfect.”
Three different colors (black, grey, and white, possibly?) will be procurable for a yet unknown price. The limited-released 2015 Nike Mags will be auctioned off in Spring 2016, with all proceeds going to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
