What’s happened?
The Shoes “Back To the Future” fans dreamed of are now a reality, with Nike unveiling their latest in wearable tech…self-lacing trainers. These new shoes fit themselves to the shape of the foot and are controlled via smartphone. The initial iteration of the Nike Adapt has been designed for Basketball, due to the huge demands athletes put on their feet during a game and the way the size of the foot changes as a result.
The Fit Adapt technology utilised in the shoes will allow players to input different fit settings for different moments in the game, loosening it to increase blood flow and tightening again for performance. Preferences are stored in the app, so when worn again, a custom motor and gear will sense the tension needed in the foot and adjust accordingly.
The Media Store Take
Whilst Nike have dabbled (arguably unsuccessfully) in “Smart Shoes” before, Nike Adapt BB seems like much more than another way to count steps.
The most tested shoe in Nike’s history, examined for thousands of hours for resistance to impact, water, and heat, before being unveiled earlier this year…such an investment suggests the Adapt is here to stay. The future of the technology is bright, with Nike outlining plans to roll Fit Adapt out into other categories, offering the Brand the ability to gain information on usage, performance and wear (if athletes choose to share it).
As with any new technology, the metrics potential capture and how data will be used will be of the utmost importance, but it’s clear the brand is taking steps towards their long term vision – “intelligent products which adapt at the speed of sport, to improve performance.
Although aimed at Pro-Athletes, the shoe has a look (and price point) that will see it being snaffled up by sneaker fans when it launches in February.
With Nine Nike products appearing in “the 10 Most Anticipated Shoes of 2019”, stronger than expected second quarter results reported in December 2018 and strong online sales, Nike looks poised for a successful year.
Ella MacDonald