Despite the fact that we don’t yet have highways of hovering cars, hoverboards on every block, and many other futuristic wonders that were shown in the popular Back to the Future 80’s science fiction movies, Nike is still working on bringing its self-lacing shoes to the real world.
The self-lacing shoes were originally shown in the Back to the Future II movie, and were put on by Marty McFly. Several prototypes have been made by Nike, and the Nike MAG, which is just one of those prototypes, is a replica of the Back to the Future self-lacing Nike shoes, were even tried on my actor Michael J. Fox himself.
The Nike MAG were only auctioned off to a very limited number of people, and they would never be mass-produced. They were very much a collector’s item made by Nike for hardcore Back to the Future fans.
But, where demand remains strong, the quest for self-lacing footwear doesn’t end there. Nike intends to launch its first commercial set of self-lacing shoes come the holiday season of 2016.
Revealed in an announcement by the footwear company is a new set of self-lacing shoes being called the Nike HyperAdapt 1.0. These shoes will be available only to Nike+ members.
“When you step in, your heel will hit a sensor and the system will automatically tighten,” explains Tiffany Beers, Senior Innovator, NIKE, Inc., and the project’s technical lead. “Then there are two buttons on the side to tighten and loosen. You can adjust it until it’s perfect.”
Athletes are going to love these shoes not only for the comfort, but because the controls will allow the athlete to make micro-adjustments to their shoes to loosen or tighten them based on the user’s needs.
The Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 will come in three color choices and is the first step forward in creating a self-lacing shoe.
In the future, shoes may become automatic, being able to tighten and loosen automatically so users can use their shoes for specific uses without touching a single button. It should be interesting to see where this kind of technology goes for the future of footwear.
Source: Nike