Technology
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It may be a year later than Back To The Future Part II prophesied, but Nike have finally announced the release of their self-lacing trainers.
The rest of this article is behind a paywall. Please sign in or subscribe to access the full content.A tweet from Nike’s PR Manager Heidi Burgett announced that the “HyperAdapt 1.0” trainer will be available in the US on November 28.
Nike teamed up with WIRED to give a glimpse into the new shoe, including the thought that went into its design and development. Inspired by Marty McFly's trainers in the 1989 movie Back To The Future Part II, the shoelaces tighten themselves when a detector in the heel indicates the wearer has put on the shoe. They then continue to tighten until it feels a certain amount of tension around the foot.
The so-called "lace engine” is in the shoe’s base, under the arch of the foot, and works by pulling cables along the side of the shoe that are attached to the lace around the tongue. It also features an LED in the heel. All of this means the shoe had to be kitted out with a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, so you're going to have to plug your trainers into the wall to charge up.
There’s no word yet on the price or if the shoe will be available worldwide.
“We’re talking about a project that’s maybe the most difficult in the history of footwear,” Nike designer Tinker Hatfield told WIRED. “I’m more excited about this than any project I’ve ever been involved with.”
You can learn more about the trainer's development in the video below.
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