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Unboxing Nike's self-lacing Adapt BB sneakers is like opening a smartphone
It was exactly a month ago that Nike took the wraps off of Adapt BB, its latest pair of shoes with power laces, and now the company is finally ready to bring them to the masses. The Adapt BB will launch globally on February 17th, although some lucky people have already been able to get them through Nike's SNKRS app. Unlike the HyperAdapt 1.0 from 2017, which were more of a concept project, the Adapt BBs are intended to be performance shoes for basketball players. They're also smarter than the HyperAdapts, thanks to a mobile app that pairs with the shoes via Bluetooth and lets users adjust how the laces fit. You can also use the Adapt application, available for iOS and Android, to change the two LED colors on the shoes.
A closer look at Nike's Adapt BB auto-lacing basketball shoes
Back in December of last year, Nike revealed during its quarterly earnings call that it was getting ready to introduce a $350 self-lacing basketball shoe. Ever since, sneakerheads have been highly anticipating the successor to the 2016 HyperAdapt 1.0, Nike's first consumer-grade sneaker with power laces. And now it's finally here. Enter the Adapt BB, an auto-lacing, app-controlled basketball shoe that's packing a ton of technology inside it. The highlight here, as you might expect, is a smart motor that automatically adjusts the lacing system to fit perfectly around your foot as soon as you put the shoe on.
Nike's Adapt BB is an app-controlled, self-lacing basketball shoe
We knew they were coming, but Nike has officially introduced its first self-lacing basketball shoes, the Adapt BB. These new sneakers are designed to provide a "truly customized fit for every basketball player," according to the company, thanks to a power-lacing system called FitAdapt that can be adjusted manually or with a smartphone app. The sportswear giant says that over the course of a basketball game, a player's foot can expand almost a half-size, which can affect their comfort level and ultimately have an impact on their movement and performance on the court. That's the problem Nike is looking to solve with Adapt BB.
Nike teases self-lacing shoes you can control from your phone
Ahead of the launch of its first self-lacing basketball shoes this week, Nike just posted a major tease to get people hyped. And while we can't see what the sneakers actually look like, it does appear you'll be able to adjust their power laces using your smartphone, based on a video featuring various NBA athletes trying them out. This would be a notable change compared to the HyperAdapt 1.0 from 2016, which had no wireless connectivity and, instead, came with physical power buttons that let you lace up the shoes. Another big difference is that the upcoming self-lacing sneakers are only expected to cost $350, much less than the $720 of the original HyperAdapts. That's all we know so far, but we'll find out everything about "the future of the game" of basketball tomorrow, so stay tuned to our site for more coverage from Nike's event.
Nike's first self-lacing basketball shoes go on sale in 2019 for $350
If you've always wanted to play basketball in a pair of self-lacing shoes like Marty McFly's Nike Mags, you will get your chance next year. On the company's quarterly earnings call executives revealed plans for an "Adaptive" performance basketball shoe in 2019 that will cost around $350. Two years ago we got our first look at the HyperAdapt self-fitting technology in a $720 low-cut training shoe, but this technology will be cheaper and probably lighter, and obviously more athletically-inclined than the 2015 Nike Mag (shown above).
Nike designers on self-lacing shoes and the future of footwear
Tinker Hatfield and Tiffany Beers, the designers behind Nike's Mag and HyperAdapt 1.0, joined us on stage at CES 2017 to talk about how these self-lacing sneakers came to life. They also discussed how 3D-printed materials could shape the future of footwear, since we're seeing more of the technology being used for prototypes and models that end up making it to retail. As for what's next for HyperAdapt, Hatfield and Beers wouldn't give any details away, but they did say the 2.0 and 3.0 versions are already in the works.
Nike's senior innovator on the challenge of designing a self-lacing shoe
With the 2016 Mag and HyperAdapt 1.0, Nike turned its idea of self-lacing shoes into a reality in 2016. And who better to talk about this than two of the masterminds behind the project, Nike Senior Innovator Tiffany Beers and Vice President of Design & Creative Concepts Tinker Hatfield. In case you're not familiar with Hatfield's work, he designed some of the most popular Air Jordans, as well as the sneakers from Back to the Future Part II. Beers, for her part, led the team that built Nike's Electro Adaptive Reactive Lacing technology. Tune in to watch our conversation with them tomorrow at 10:30AM PT/1:30PM ET, live from Engadget's CES Stage.
A first look at Nike's self-lacing HyperAdapt sneakers
More than eight months after introducing the HyperAdapt 1.0, Nike is finally making its highly anticipated self-lacing shoes available to the public. The sneaker costs a whopping $720 and is pitched as the consumer version of Nike's 2016 Mag, the model inspired by the film Back to the Future Part II. Obviously, what makes them both stand out are their power laces, because who can resist not having to tie their own shoes? I tried on the HyperAdapts at a private event in New York City, and despite wearing the limited-edition Mags before, I couldn't help but feel tickled when I first put on the new pair.
Nike's self-lacing HyperAdapt shoes go on sale November 28th
Nike designer Tinker Hatfield promised us power-lacing shoes to mimic the kicks from Back to the Future in 2016, and now we know what day they'll go on sale. The Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 will be available at "select" retail locations by appointment beginning November 28th. The company brought Wired in for a look behind the scenes of the shoe's development, but we're expecting more details, like how to set up an appointment and pricing, in the coming weeks.
You can use your smartphone to 'lace up' this sneaker
These may not be Nike's highly acclaimed Back to the Future kicks, but their power-lacing system is going to leave you impressed. Meet the Digital Sole, a pair of sneakers created by French company Zhor Tech, who has come up with a design that can be "laced up" (note: there are no laces) right from a smartphone. What's more, Zhor Tech's smart shoes are able to track your steps and the amount of pressure you're putting on your feet, all thanks to an embedded sensor which displays information on an app.
Counterfeiters already have fake 'BTTF' Nikes with power laces
Nike won't have its Back to the Future 2 kicks on shelves until next year, but it looks like the folks who make their money selling knockoffs aren't waiting around. Since Nike announced the Mags with power laces will be a very limited edition available only via auction, we can expect a healthy market for fakes. Kicks On Fire points out this Instagram video by fake_education -- an account that generally points out ways to tell real shoes from their unauthorized twins -- showing a power lacing system already integrated with a pair of knockoff Mags. Of course we're sure you would never stoop so low as to intentionally buy fakes, but when Marty McFly's futuristic shoes start to surface in suspicious quantities and prices, remember this video.
Nike's power-laced 'Back to the Future' shoes arrive in 2016
Unless you've been living under a rock for the past few hours, then you know today is Back to the Future Day. In the trilogy's second film, Michael J. Fox's character Martin Seamus McFly, better known as Marty, gave us a glimpse of how things would look on October 21st, 2015. And even though the future according to the movie may have not been fully accurate (which is okay), Marty's power-laced Nike sneakers are indeed a reality. While the sportswear juggernaut did release the Mag in 2011, that version didn't use the self-lacing technology we saw in Back to the Future Part II. But don't worry, the actual Marty McFly shoes are coming in spring 2016, Nike has confirmed. Tinker Hatfield, Nike's VP of creative concepts and the man who designed the Mags, also sent a letter to Fox saying, "Although the project started as science fiction, we're now proud to turn that fiction into fact."
Back to the future: Nike designer touts 2015 arrival for Marty McFly's Power Laces
Back in 2011, Nike MAGs brought the futuristic looks of Marty McFly to the feet of sneaker collectors. There was just one problem: the fashionably-lit footwear from Back to the Future II was lacking its key feature. Well, now it seems that the iconic Power Laces will finally arrive in 2015. Nike designer Tinker Hatfield confirmed that the closure is on the way next year at a recent appearance at the Jordan Brand's Flight Lab. "Are we gonna see Power Laces in 2015? To that, I say yes!," Hatfield said. In case you've forgotten, the pair of MAGs in the movie were all the rage in 2015, so the schedule lines up. As the folks over at Sole Collector note, the question remains whether we'll see a new Power Lace-equipped version of the MAGs or if the add-on will arrive on a completely new model that laces itself. If you're not into waiting or high-tech sneakers, the 2011 release is currently available on eBay for around $8,000.
Nike teases Back to the Future shoes, creepily leaks the contents of Marty McFly's closet (video)
What's this? Nike is rounding up shoe-nerds (and Back to the Future fans) to taunt them with futuristic metal shield glasses, 1980s candy, and a personal messages from Doc Brown? Could this shoe-filled YouTube tease (uploaded by DocEmmettBrown88) mean that Nike is bringing nerdom's coolest kicks back from the future? Probably. After all, you don't patent power-laces just to make a normal shoe, do you? [Thanks, Rob]
Power Laces 2.0 ditch the external servo and retro colors, look production-ready (video)
The self-lacing Power Laces shoes have made quite a stir since we caught sight of them back in July. Creator Blake Bevin launched a Kickstarter program to actually produce the things and, working to raise the $25k in funding needed to build 'em, Blake has created a video of version 2.0 of the shoes. This time the blue and pink are gone, as are the Nike logos (perhaps to avoid trademark and patent ramifications), replaced with a cleaner though taller silver and white design. The servo that handles the laces is now hidden in the heel, and a pressure sensor starts the lacing process as soon as you put your foot in. We like that idea, but we're not sure how comfortable walking on a servo would be. Pony up $50 to join the fund and you can be among the first to find out.
Auto-lacing sneaker laces itself, is looking for a friend
In the future, even the most menial, second nature tasks will be automated, because why not? Taking a page from the book of Back to the Future II, a fashionable DIYer has gone ahead and brought a little piece of the future to us, with this autolacing sneaker. There's only one so far, but it's got a force sensor which reads the pressure of your foot when you put it in the shoe, and that activates the two servos which tighten the laces. There's also a switch to reverse the servo and loosen the laces. Check out the video of its operation below, and hit up the source if you want to make one (or two!) of your own.
