When Nike’s HyperAdapt self-lacing sneakers – derived from Back to the Future II’s power laces – finally went on sale in 2016, we felt a little robbed.
$720 for a pair of trainers that don’t even look like the Air Mag trainers sported by Marty McFly during the trilogy? Get on your hoverboard, Nike! Hell, we’d rather tighten our own laces than fork over that much.
Thankfully, Nike has now announced the tech has moved on, and adaptive lacing is ready for another go-around, this time at a more affordable price point.
During the company’s most recent earnings call, CEO Mark Marker said (via TechCrunch) the next-gen basketball shoe will be available for around $350. He said: “I’m excited to announce that in the new year we’ll launch a new adaptive performance platform in basketball at the $350 price point. We have a smart shoe designed for the perfect fit, and it’s a major step in advancing and connecting our digital transformation to product.”
It’s not clear when, exactly, the new trainers will go on sale, or whether they’ll follow the HyperAdapt design. However, when the 1.0 trainers launched in 2016, Nike’s Tiffany Beers told TechCrunch that “it could absolutely be a mainstream product.
“It doesn’t feel gimmicky after using it,” she added. “Athletes move and change. And their environment is constantly moving and changing. So optimal fit is important. Why isn’t our shoe changing more with our foot? That speaks to the potential future of where this is going.”
$350 for a pair of trainers is still pretty far from mainstream, but it seems we’re getting there. Whether that price tag will encourage enough people to seek out v2.0 remains to be seen. The original HyperAdapt shoe featured LED lights placed in the heels that illuminated when the laces were tightening. The built-in battery lasted two weeks per charge and two three hours to recharge.
Would you pay $350 for a pair of self-tightening Nikes? Drop us a line @TrustedReviews on Twitter.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
