Inspired by that cinema moment in Back To The Future where Marty McFly puts on his Nike sneakers, and the pair springs to life, lighting up, and lacing themselves. Now, after 28 years, Nike is finally releasing their fully functioning, self-tying shoes at selected stores throughout the United States.
HyperAdapt 1.0 Release
On November 28, the HyperAdapt 1.0, Nike's very first fully functioning, self-tying shoes will finally be available from selected Nike stores. Employing the "adaptive fit" technology; as Nike puts it, it readily adjusts to the wearer's feet keeping the shoe tight and snug. It comes in a sleek and simple design with flashy LED lights. The new Nike HperAdapt 1.0 also comes in three different colors.
Nike Making History
In an interview by Wired, Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield dubbed the project "the most difficult in the history of footwear." It took years of trial and error before they were able to create the shoes equipped with pressure sensors that can sense when you place your foot on the sole, and rechargeable lithium-polymer battery. The shoe also needs micromotors that are lighweight; and cable system that can adjust the fit as the wearer puts them on.
Features
Currently, there are buttons on the sides of the shoes that lets the wearer adjust the fit but designers and Nike engineers are now working on a HyperAdapt 2.0 that adjusts in real-time. Now it takes about a second to tie your shoes, and you can finally forget your bunny ears.
According to Tifanny Beers, Senior Inventor of Nike, the shoe was designed with athletes in mind. It's now far easier for someone to easily loosen their shoe at halftime, or when their feet begins to swell during a marathon.
The batteries can apparently last for two weeks and needs two hours of charging.
You can watch more on how the shoe works right here:
