Great Scott! Nike has revealed a line of self-lacing trainers, the Nike Hyperadapt 1.0. The shoes, which will launch later in 2016, are the first to feature what the sportswear brand is calling "electro-adaptive reactive laces (EARL)".
Activated by sensors in the sole, the EARL system adapts to the foot shape and weight distribution of the wearer. The laces are controlled by a system of pulleys, and can also be tightened or loosened with a button on the upper.
Nike had previously made a pair of self-lacing Air Mag trainers -- based on the shoes worn in Back To The Future II -- in 2015, but this is the first time the technology will be available for widespread purchase.
The EARL system is powered by an in-shoe battery with lifespan of "about two weeks" between charges, according to designer Tiffany Beers. The same battery will power an LED inside the sole, which will indicate battery life. (The shoes will come with an inductive charging system.) According to Beers, the self-lacing system has been in development for 10 years. No prices or release date were confirmed, but longtime Nike design mastermind Tinker Hatfield, who worked on the project, described the shoe as in "its alpha phase", and said that early users may be polled for feedback. A second iteration is already in development.
At the launch event in New York, Nike CEO and president Mark Parker claimed that the Hyperadapt marks a "new era of sports -- the era of personalised performance."
Also revealed on the first day of the two-day event – which will reveal the company's lineup for the 2016 Olympic games in Rio De Janiero this summer -- was a new "anti-clog" coating for football boots. The chemical coating, it says, will prevent shoes from picking up mud during matches.
The company also announced several new products, including the Vapormax -- a new take on the Nike Air sole -- and a redesign of the Nike+ app, which "learns the product you love [and] how you like to train." The app will allow users to order "gear up packages" and, most promisingly for sneaker enthusiasts, includes a reservation program for limited edition product launches.
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
