Technology
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Nevermind the groundbreaking developments in artifical intelligence or the artificially grown dinosaur bones in labs, there's only one thing that truly says "future" like nothing else: self-lacing trainers.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.Nike have finally announced they will be releasing the Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 shoe, complete with “Back To The Future II”-style self-tightening laces.
“When you step in, your heel will hit a sensor and the system will automatically tighten,” explains Tiffany Beers, a senior innovator for Nike. “Then there are two buttons on the side to tighten and loosen. You can adjust it until it’s perfect.”
The shoes will be available in three colors, as well as feature some light-up soles and glowing side-threading.
Although the idea has been floating around since the 1989 film “Back To The Future II,” the design for this model has been in the works since 2013. WIRED reports that the shoe’s laces will tighten through a system of electronic pulleys, powered by miniature batteries that can reportedly last for two weeks per charge.
Nike teased the release of self-lacing shoes in October, which they said would be in collaboration with the Michael J. Fox Foundation. However, this model appears to be unrelated to the Parkinson's charity.
There’s no word on the price just yet, but they will only be available to users of their Nike+ app. Nike hopes to have the shoes out on the virtual shelves by Christmas 2016.
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