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New Balance's rare 3D-printed running shoes cost $400
Late last year, following in the footsteps of rival Adidas, New Balance introduced its first 3D-printed running shoe. But the company didn't share many details back then, other than revealing the footwear's existence and teasing and eventual release. Thankfully for people who are interested, New Balance has announced that the Zante Generate will be available to consumers on April 15th, albeit in extremely limited form. There are only 44 pairs total, so you'll have to act fast if you want one.
Adidas tries to make buying Yeezys fair but misses the mark
Buying Yeezy Boost sneakers online is tough. It comes down to this: Supply cannot meet demand. The shortage is so acute that if you don't buy them at launch for retail price -- between $200 and $350, depending on the model -- you'll have to pay upwards of $2,000 on eBay or another site to get your hands on a pair. Reselling Yeezys has become a business, and both Adidas and Nike (with its retro Jordans) are turning to tech to make the shopping experience fair and safe for everyone.
Self-lacing Nikes are real, will go on sale later this year
While we're still waiting for the Back to the Future-styled Nike Mag, the company has unveiled its first "self-lacing" shoe in another silhouette. The Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 senses the presence of the wearer's heel, and tightens its laces accordingly. Senior Innovator Tiffany Beers led the project, and says once the shoe is on, the wearer can adjust the fit with two buttons on the side to get things perfect.
Under Armour will sell partially 3D-printed shoes for $300
When Adidas showed off its Futurecraft 3D concept late last year, it wasn't really clear how close to reality 3D-printed shoes were. Well, they're much closer today. Under Armour is debuting its UA Architechs, a new training shoe that has a 3D-printed midsole. Okay, so this isn't quite reaching Adidas' dream of personalising shoes based on individuals' needs, but 3D-printing does have its uses. The midsole here provides what Under Armour refers to as a "dynamic stability platform." It's an interlacing lattice structure that's supposed to bring all the benefits of "energy returning" foams, while offering improved stability. The idea is to create a shoe that's just as suitable for cross training as it is for weight lifting. Whether 3D-printing is actually required to create this lattice, or if regular manufacturing techniques could handle it just fine, isn't clear. But it's nonetheless an important step along the journey to creating a 3D-printed shoe for the masses. The UA Architechs are being produced on a super-limited run -- only 96 will be made -- and will be sold at $300.
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.
E-paper sneakers change your style on the fly
If you're the sort to buy multiple pairs of sneakers just to make sure your footwear is always fashionable, you might soon have a way to save a lot of money. David Coelho is crowdfunding ShiftWear, or sneakers that have color e-paper displays in their sides. You only need a mobile app to change your look at a moment's notice (there are promises of a shoe design store), and you can even use animations if you're feeling ostentatious. The shoes are machine-washable, and the e-paper consumes virtually no power if you're using static imagery -- there's even talk of walk-to-charge tech that would save you from ever having to plug in or swap batteries.
New Balance unveils its first 3D-printed running shoe
Following in the footsteps of sportswear rival Adidas, New Balance today introduced its own 3D-printed running shoe. Created in collaboration with 3DSystems, a company known for offering 3D printing tech, New Balance's sneaker features a 3D-printed midsole made from a newly developed elastomeric powder and DuraForm Flex TPU. By using said materials, New Balance says, the running shoe's bottom cushion will be able to provide an "optimal" balance of flexibility, durability, strength and weight -- which, in theory, should make them comfortable for runners, and that's important.
What's on your HDTV: Oscars, 'Sneakers' and 'Game of Thrones'
This week the other big awards show comes home, as we find out the winners of the 2015 Academy Awards but there's much more to see. Birdman is up for several trophies and it arrives on Blu-ray this week, but we're equally looking forward to season four of Game of Thrones, the Roger Ebert documentary Life Itself. Of course, Sneakers finally getting a Blu-ray disc release in the US (nearly eight years after it shipped on HD-DVD, and it's only available at Best Buy for now), is a big one, and The Interview is wrapping up its release tour at long last. For gamers there's Dead or Alive 5: Last Round, plus PS4 exclusives The Order: 1886 and Resogun: Defenders. this week we have the series finales of Two and a Half Men and The Mentalist, series premiere of The Odd Couple, season premiere of Vikings, and a season finale for Downton Abbey. Look after the break to check out each day's highlights, including trailers and let us know what you think (or what we missed).
Nike's SNKRS app puts a shoe store in your pocket
It may be hard for Nike to steal some of Adidas' current thunder, what with the upcoming release of Kanye West's highly anticipated Yeezy Boost and all. Still, those of you who are Nike die-hards will be over the moon when you see the company's most recent venture: SNKRS, an app that brings the ultimate shoe shop right to your smartphone. If you're used to ordering from Nike's website, the SNKRS application is set to make you feel right at home, but here, the content is, as expected, much easier to access. Like placing an order, for instance, which only takes a couple of taps to get through the checkout process and have the sneakers on the way to your doorstep -- as a bonus, everything within the app ships free via ground method.
Adidas outs sneaker reservation app as Yeezy season approaches
If you're into collecting limited-edition sneakers, Adidas has a new app that'll employ your phone to help nab new shoes. The Adidas Confirmed allows you to reserve new designs as they become available -- but It only works in New York City, for now. Push notifications will alert you when the reservation window is open, so you can nail down sizing and the pickup details. This only secures a pair of the rare kicks, and the actual exchange of funds takes place at the pre-determined retail location. The app's arrival comes before the highly-anticipated release of the next Yeezy shoe designed by Kanye West. Those familiar with the sneaker buzz know Nike's first two installments were snatched up in seconds, so best of luck grabbing some when the new version is finally revealed.
Skechers stitched the Simon memory game into its new kids' sneakers
Ugh, Skechers isn't stocking a size 10.
Crowdfunding campaign hopes to beat Nike to auto-lacing shoes
Ever since Marty McFly first wore them in Back to the Future Part II, we've all dreamed of auto-lacing shoes. Nike has now said that a pair will launch in 2015, but despite that, a Canadian startup is taking to Kickstarter to try and beat the shoe giant to the punch with its Powerlace P-One shoes.
Adidas finally launches its shoe-customizing app in the US
It was about six months ago that Adidas introduced the Photo Print ZX Flux, a line of sneakers which can be easily customized by way of a mobile application. But while shoe lovers in Europe have had the chance to make their own ZX Flux since August, the same couldn't be said about people here in the US. Starting today, however, those of you Stateside will now have the opportunity to create a pair for yourself, using the same iOS and Android apps that European folks have had access to for months. It's quite simple, really. Say you have an image of a delicious burger on your smartphone, such as the one above, then you upload it to the application, tweak it slightly if you need to and, just like that, you can have a pair on the way to your door. Adidas is pricing the customizable sneakers at $110 -- orders are expected to take 4-6 weeks to complete.
Nothing says you're a Sony fanboy like a pair of PS4-themed Air Jordans
There's nothing like a set of fresh kicks to add the finishing touch to your get-up, but then there's the problem of tracking down the perfect pair. We know that's exactly why you haven't been cracking out your PS4-themed outfits recently, but luckily there's now a shoe for that™. Custom kick designer Jonny Barry from FreakerSNEAKS has seen this gaping hole in the market, and intends to fill it with the "JRDN X PS4," a remix of the Air Jordan 4 that takes inspiration from Sony's latest console. They're actually one of his less-extensive mods, with the PS4/PlayStation logos replacing the normal dunking graphics on the back of the sneakers, and an image of the mischievous robots from Playroom on the tongue. What's more, there's a (completely non-functional) HDMI port built into the sole, and a Jordan-branded cable for plugging them into, well, each other. As Barry tells DualShockers, he intends to produce a limited run of ten pairs, and sell them at around $950 each. Finally there's something that just works with that PS4 jumpsuit you've been dying to bust out, and what a bargain at more than double the price of the actual console!
Adidas is taking sneaker customization to a whole new level
Adidas is in the process of revamping mi Adidas, its feature that lets people customize shoes with various elements -- you can mix and match colors and even have your name embroidered on them. To make things better (or worse, depending on who you ask), Adidas will soon also allow you to create sneakers using any image you want as your print -- because why not, right? Unfortunately, you won't be able to do this with all Adidas Originals, as the sporting gear company is limiting the customization feature to the ZX Flux model. Adidas says the ZX Flux is the perfect shoe for this, citing the recent success of the Photo Print Prism model as evidence and as a driving force behind the idea. You can customize your own pair starting in August, which is when the iOS and Android apps are due to launch.
Light up your Converse All-Stars with Adafruit's DIY tutorial (video)
If you missed out on the L.A. Lights craze of the early '90s, fear not -- there's hope for you yet. Adafruit's DIY enhancement for Converse All-Stars takes customized kicks to a whole new level with the science of electroluminescence. To light up the star on your Chucks, all you need is a pair of EL panels, tiny inverters (like a coincell or AAA battery type), some common household tools and half-way competent sewing skills. So, if you want to add some flash to your footwear and become the coolest kid in school, check out Adafruit's simple tutorial, embedded after the break.
Nike PHOTOiD colors Air Max sneakers with the aid of Instagram snapshots
Sure, you can head over to Nike's online shoe repository and haphazardly toggle through color options for a custom pair of kicks. Or, you could let your Instagram library do the heavy lifting. With the new PHOTOiD HTML5 web app, the shoe maker combines those filtered smartphone snapshots with its custom ordering process. Once a photo has been selected, the software applies the color palette to a pair of Air Max 1, 90 or 95 sneakers -- based on the available color library for each footwear option, of course. From there, sharing is enabled through the usual social networks and creations can be purchased to hit your doorstep in about a month. Consult the source link below to color your pair of Air Max 90s based on yesterday's sandwich or iced coffee.
Hackers attempt to access AT&T customer records, prompts millions to Rethink Passwords
See that door above? Well, a few fellas who know their ones and zeroes appear to have gotten close to busting down its virtual equivalent, AT&T admitted in an email to customers this morning. It turns out that hackers were hard at work trying to access online account information, but we were told by company reps that the carrier discovered the attempt and shut it down before any security breach occurred. According to the company: We recently detected what could have been an organized attempt to obtain information on a number of customer accounts. The people in question appear to have used "auto script" technology to determine whether AT&T telephone numbers were linked to online AT&T accounts. No accounts were breached and our investigation is ongoing to determine the source or intent of the attempt to gather this information. In the meantime, out of an abundance of caution, we are advising the account holders involved. The incident is eerily reminiscent of similar attacks made against the carrier last year that revealed the email addresses of 114,000 iPad owners. The person responsible was found and arrested, and AT&T is promising to investigate today's matter in a similar fashion. Spokesperson Mark Siegel mentioned this morning that less than one percent of subscribers were targeted by the attack -- but hey, that means only a million people were targeted. No biggie, right?
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]
Put creepers on your sneakers with these custom Minecraft Vans
What better way to improve the experience of terrified, panicked sprinting than by adorning your life-saving sneakers with the grim vissage of the eldritch monstrosity you're running from? None, we say, and gaming-inspired custom footwear designed KyozoKicks agrees with us, it seems. Originally intended to be worn to this month's Gamescom trade show, these Minecraft Vans Slip-Ons are being auctioned on eBay to finance the artist's computer repairs. The size-9.5 men's/11 women's classics were "made with the intention to be worn," and have been finished with a water-resistant clear-coat, meaning that you won't have to worry about ruining your one-off kicks as you desperately try to outrun an explosive death.
