shoes
Latest
Nike uses AR to help you find the right fit for your sneakers
Nike has been experimenting heavily with augmented reality for a few years now, and the company is continuing to work on new experiences powered by the technology. The sportswear giant is now introducing Nike Fit, a feature that uses a combination of computer vision, scientific data, artificial intelligence and recommendation algorithms to scan your feet and find the right shoe fit for you. And you can do it all in augmented reality, using the Nike app on your smartphone. Nike says that, according to industry research, over 60 percent of people wear the wrong size shoes. With Nike Fit, the company is hoping to solve that problem.
Puma is recruiting beta testers for its self-lacing sneakers
When Engadget took an exclusive look at the Puma Fi self-lacing shoes earlier this year, the company teased an upcoming beta program for those who want to try their luck. Well, the time has come. Between now and April 28th, you can apply for the Puma Fi beta testing program via the PUMATRAC app (available on iOS and Android) or Puma's online form. The catch is you need to be residing in one of the following 11 regions: US, UK, Germany, Japan, Hong Kong, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Spain, India and Turkey.
Adidas made a running shoe that's fully recyclable
As part of its recent pledge to only use recycled plastics by 2024, Adidas has revealed a new running shoe that is made from 100 percent recyclable materials. The Futurecraft Loop was designed using nothing but thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), a plastic material that dons the entire sneaker, including the tongue, laces, upper and the midsole with Boost cushioning technology. Adidas says it has been working on this project for the past six years, and the goal with it is to do its part in generating less plastic waste.
The best apps for buying sneakers
I can't even remember how many times I've had to get in line at a FootLocker to buy the latest pair of Air Jordans. But that was years ago, long before websites and apps became the main way I shop for sneakers. Nowadays, if I do end up at a FootLocker, it's because I won a raffle through its app and just have to go pick up a pair of shoes -- no waiting on long lines necessary. With the rise of smartphones and the internet as a whole, retailers along with brands like Nike and Adidas have turned to technology to sell sneakers, especially limited-edition ones that have the potential to cause physical fights. If I want a pair of Jordans in 2019, I just use Nike's SNKRS app, and I don't have to worry about someone jumping me for them as I leave a store.
Nike's self-lacing Adapt BB shoes aren't playing well with Android phones
How do you know you're living in the future? When your shoes have technical problems. Owners on Google Play and CNET report that Nike's Android companion app for the self-lacing Adapt BB has some teething troubles, most notably a buggy firmware update process. In some cases, the updates have bricked people's shoes -- yes, that's something we just said. You can still wear the shoes and force-restart them, but that's not really something you should worry about with a $350 pair of kicks.
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.
Foot Locker invests $100 million in online sneaker seller GOAT
Foot Locker announced today that it is investing $100 million into GOAT Group, the operators of the massive secondary sneaker market GOAT. In addition to providing an influx of cash, the companies said they plan to work together to leverage Foot Locker's brick and mortar presence with GOAT's digital marketplace.
Self-repairing shoes may be a reality thanks to 3D-printed rubber
Shoes will invariably wear out with enough use, but scientists might have found a way to delay the shopping trip for their replacements. A USC team has created a self-healing 3D-printed rubber that could be ideal for footwear, tires and even soft robotics. The effort involves 3D printing the material with photopolymerization (solidifying a resin with light) while introducing an oxidizer at just the right ratio to add self-healing properties without slowing down the solidifying process.
Nike turns its SNKRS app into a pop-up shop for sneakerheads
With Super Bowl 53 getting ready to kick off in Atlanta, brands are seeing dollar signs. And you know Nike, given its status as a sportswear giant, has to go all out for the event. That's why the company opened a pop-up shop in Atlanta, designed to cater exclusively to users of its SNKRS app. The temporary store, which will be open through the end of March, is the sportswear giant's latest effort to seamlessly merge its digital and physical shopping experiences.
Alphabet is exploring smart shoes that know when you fall
Alphabet's Verily isn't done finding new places for its health-oriented wearable tech. CNBC sources claim the firm has developed prototype smart shoes that measure movement and weight, and could detect when you've fallen -- not a novel concept, but still relatively rare. These wouldn't be fitness shoes, then. Instead, they could track rapid weight gain (a sign of congestive heart failure) or send an alert if you take a tumble to the ground. That last part could be particularly helpful for people who have mobility issues but still want a degree of independence.
Under Armour's HOVR connected shoes aim to make you a smarter runner
Under Armour has been making a major push into smart running shoes for a couple of years now, and in 2019 the company is taking those efforts even further. This year, it plans to launch a suite of connected sneakers (five, to be exact), starting with the HOVR Infinite. Pictured above, the Infinite is a $120 running shoe that can be paired to Under Armour's MapMyRun app via Bluetooth, letting you keep track of your stats right on your smartphone.
Puma wants to let you try its new Fi self-lacing shoes
With the upcoming release of Nike's $350 Adapt BB, self-lacing shoes are set to become more commonplace, and Puma isn't about to let its rival take all the credit. After all, the German company showed off its own self-lacing sneaker, the Autodisc, back in 2015 -- around the same time as Nike's iconic (and ultra rare) Mag before it evolved into the HyperAdapt. The only problem was the Autodisc just wasn't practical enough to enter retail -- it was too expensive, too heavy and could have been more comfortable. But that's about to change with Puma's latest creation, the Fi (pronounced as "F-I" aka "Fit Intelligence").
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).
You can try on the latest Adidas sneaker drop on Snapchat
Adidas is dropping its all new Ultraboost 19 running shoes later this week, but you won't have to wait in line to get a look at them. The company is partnering with Snapchat to offer an augmented reality-powered preview. Sneakerheads will be able to use the Snapchat lens to see exactly how the shoes will look laced up on their feet before they are officially available on December 15th.
Puma revives its 1986 smart shoe for the modern era
Smart shoes may sound like a recent innovation, but they're really old hat -- Puma's RS-Computer shoes were tracking your running stats in 1986, well before wearable tech was a hot trend. And Puma wants to remind you of that fact. It's reissuing the RS-Computer with the familiar colors and heel hump, but thoroughly modern fitness tracking technology. The 2018 shoe uses a three-axis accelerometer to measure calorie burn, distance and (new for 2018) step counts. And instead of plugging in a data cable to sync up to 30 days of activity data with an ancient Apple II or Commodore 64, you use Bluetooth to pull send information to an Android or iOS app -- albeit one that nods to the original 8-bit software.
Nike uses AR to tease its biggest Jordan launch of the year
If it wasn't already clear that Nike sees augmented reality as a big deal for footwear, it is now. The company is using AR inside its SNKRS app to offer a peek at its biggest shoe release of the year, the Air Jordan 11 Concord, days before you can buy it on December 8th. The immersive feature is no longer there just to help in "the hunt" or serve as an "unlock trigger," a spokesperson tells Engadget. Rather, it's there to "enhance the shopping experience" in your feed.
Nike’s new PlayStation sneakers pay homage to Sony’s classic console
The first week of December couldn't get much better for PlayStation fans. On top of the launch of Sony's miniature PS Classic on December 3rd, Nike also has something in store for them in the next few days. On December 1st, the sportswear giant will launch the second edition of its PlayStation-themed signature basketball shoes, designed for NBA superstar Paul George. Like the original shoes from earlier this year, the new PG 2.5 x PlayStation are inspired by Sony's gaming console, but this pair takes all of its cues from the original PlayStation rather than the PS4.
