I think I missed this last time, but Nike are “back” with these self -lacing trainers for 2019.
The new Nike Adapt BB shoes combine Nike’s power-lacing system with a custom fit, to create the best basketball shoes possible and a futuristic take on fashion.
Nike picked basketball as the first sport for the Nike Adapt because of the demands that basketball’s athletes put on their shoes.
During a normal basketball game the athlete’s foot changes, and the ability to adjust change fit by loosening shoes to increase blood flow, and then tighten again for performance, is a key element that will improve the athlete’s experience. So say the brand’s scientists.
Nike has put out a few versions of its self-lacing trainers in the past, but I’ve been late to the table. Apparently, there was the Marty McFly-inspired kicks that were sold in collaboration with the Michael J. Fox Foundation, a Parkinson’s charity set up by the actor, and raised $6.7 million for research into the disease. Then in 2016, the company released Nike Hyperadapt 1.0 shoes, priced at a cool £620.
The Nike Adapt BB is the next stage in this quest for the perfect self-lacing shoe. How does it work? Well, when someone places their foot into the trainer, a custom motor and gear train gauges the tension needed by the foot and adjusts itself accordingly.
Then, using the Nike Adapt smartphone app, or the buttons on the side of the trainer, the wearer can input different fit settings so the shoe adapts to different environments. You can customise the lights on the side of the shoes in the app too, going from blues to pinks, yellows to greens.
The new trainers are supposedly the most tested shoe in the history of Nike. The company says testing included 300 miles of running, 30,000 impact pulses at 780 pounds of force, 2,900 continuous lacing cycles from tight to loose, and 5,000 cycles of flexing from left to right, to ensure the tech could withstand constant usage.
Just don’t forget to charge them, which you can do with the wireless charging mat, otherwise you’ll have to go barefoot, just like your old PE days.
The new shoes will be available to buy in February.
