Even the most tech-averse will admit that they'd like to step, even if just briefly, into a shoe from the future. That's what Nike is promising with its self-lacing sneakers that have leapt from Hollywood screens into reality.
Nike put the dream of self-lacing shoes into the minds of sci-fi and sneaker fans when Michael J. Fox donned a fictional pair in 1989's Back to the Future Part II. By 2015, the year the movie is set, Nike had seemingly perfected the technology in real life, first announcing the Nike Air Mags, replicas of the sneakers Fox wears in the movie, and later the HyperAdapt -- a self-lacing sneaker Nike intends to sell as an actual product.
SEE ALSO:Nike's self-lacing sneakers are coming soon, but they're going to cost you ... a lotI got a chance to try out Nike's HyperAdapt shoes, finally getting a chance to find out how real-deal self-lacing sneakers actually feel. Are they just slick, logo-emblazoned technology you'll quickly regret spending your cash on, or is this the future of footwear?
Are they just slick, logo-emblazoned technology, or is this the future of footwear?
That's the question I wanted to answer when I visited Nike's little known Nike+ Clubhouse, not far from its new Niketown store location in Soho, New York City.
When I slipped on the size-14 HyperAdapts (the shoes are unisex, so a woman needing a size 8 would wear a HyperAdapt men's 6.5) with the much-talked-about battery and lacing mechanism embedded in its sole, I wasn’t expecting much in the way of comfort. Let's just say the shoes surpassed my expectations. The shoe not only looks better in person -- it feels about as comfortable as any Nike I've worn. In fact, in keeping with most of Nike's line of running shoes, the HyperAdapt is amazingly lightweight. You'd never know the shoe was even special without seeing its LED lighting arrays in the sole and heel.
Similarly, the wireless charging pucks that magnetically snap onto the bottom of the shoes are light enough that tossing them into your backpack or purse won't add significant weight to your travels.
Credit: MASHABLE, LILI SAMSBut the real test was the lacing mechanism. With so many different foot shapes out there, could Nike have actually developed a lacing system that doesn't just squeeze your foot into the shoe, but actually supports your foot like traditional laces? I've only worn the shoes for an hour, but my early impression is: absolutely.
Yo this is crazy I'm officially part of the @Nike family! Trust me there's more to come but for now step into the future with me! 😜 #TeamNike #HyperAdapt
"There's a lace engine [in the shoe] and it has a motor and spool and there's a cable that winds up on that spool," says Tiffany Beers, a senior innovator at Nike who has worked on the shoe for about 10 years. "Leading up to that you have a couple lace cables they come up and wind through [the surface of the shoe] in a very specific pattern to give you just the right fit and adjustability."
Tiffany Beers, Senior Innovator at NikeCredit: MASHABLE, LILI SAMSI tested this mechanism a number of ways, and although the lacing mechanism is incredibly strong and supportive during wear, it doesn't pinch your foot or errant fingers with enough force to result in injury.
"[The laces are] a braided piece of nylon," says Beers. "We call it the parachute. The whole goal of it is to give you a visual representation of the shoe's closing. They also help to distribute pressure."
Still, I couldn't help but wonder if knockoff sneaker makers will attempt to replicate the HyperAdapt, possibly putting less than safe, would-be self-lacing sneakers on the market.
Credit: MASHABLE, LILI SAMS"Eventually people will be able to reverse-engineer this and figure out how we did it," says Beers. "The thing about it is that it's such a particular system to get the fit right and to get the mechanism built right. They're going to have to have electronics backgrounds."
Very true. But it won't stop them from trying.
Credit: mashable, Adario strangeThe HyperAdapt offers another cool feature: automatic lacing. So even if you don't use the plus or minus buttons to adjust the fit, when you put the shoes on, once you start walking, sensors in the heel detect your motion and begin tightening the shoe to a comfortable level of snugness.
Another nice surprise: If you ever feel like the shoes are perhaps not as responsive or functioning as they should be, the HyperAdapts can reboot. Just hold down the plus and minus buttons for 13 seconds and watch as the normally blue-green LEDs on the its heel and sole display a rainbow of red, yellow and purple flashes. Cool.
Credit: MASHABLE, LILI SAMSAside from the fit and the design, I also wondered if tagging the shoe "E.A.R.L." (which stands for Electro Adaptive Reactive Lacing) was Nike's way of previewing a future Siri- or Alexa-style voice command system that allows you to adjust the fit of your Nike shoes and clothing in the future?
"I can't share all of the secrets with you," Beers says. "A lot of these technologies are still in their infancy and we need to let them develop."
Nike will release the black version of the HyperAdapt on Dec. 1, and Beers says a silver version is coming for the Christmas season. Along with those versions, she also confirmed that a white version, with a gum rubber sole, with be distributed to "friends of the brand." NBA star Kyrie Irving showed off that version on Monday via Twitter.
Yessir! Thanks @Nike pic.twitter.com/bXL1zbWNOw
— Kyrie Irving (@KyrieIrving) November 28, 2016
So is Nike's HyperAdapt the best attempt at fashion-meets-tech we've seen to date?
Short answer: Yes.
But the real challenge for Nike will be price. At $720, these are pricey as both a piece of tech and a pair of sneakers. Sure, for footwear in general, they're comfortably below the wares of Manolo and Ferragamo, but as trendy tech accessories go, the HyperAdapt sneakers are out of range for most, surpassing even the Apple Watch. Let's not forget Snapchat's Spectacles are just $129.
But in Nike's case, the wearable tech outlook may be brighter. My prediction is that if Nike can, in coming years, soften the blow on your wallet by a few hundred dollars, it's likely we'll see HyperAdapt's self-lacing technology everywhere.
Welcome (back) to the future of wearable tech.
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