A Running Shoe For Agent 86?

manganese4 writes "The New York Times (free reg. req.) is reporting on a new shoe from Adidas that contains a ~10KHz chip capable of changing the shoe's characteristics to meet the runner's need. From the article: 'Adidas executives say the shoe is no gadget-dependent gimmick... Each second, a sensor in the heel can take up to 20,000 readings and the embedded electronic brain can make 10,000 calculations, directing a tiny electric motor to change the shoe. The goal is to make the shoe adjust to changing conditions and the runner's particular style while in use. The shoes will have push-button controls, light-emitting diodes to display settings and an instruction manual on a CD-ROM that will advise wearers on, among other things, how to change the battery after every 100 hours of use.' I wonder if the CPU can be overclocked?"

Comments

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[Anonymous Coward]

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[Errtu76]

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Re:what a gimmick

[glaHHg]

Tell me about it. Here's all the detailed info on what it actually does, straight out of the article:

alters its physical properties
would change to your different needs
change
adjust
changes its characteristics
adapts its cushioning

Hmmm so wtf does it actually do?? Looks like the same thing the pump does but without the pump.

Re:Crazy runners...

[tuxette]

I don't think very many serious runners would buy these shoes. A lot of people I know who are serious runners (marathon etc.) have a hard enough time detaching themselves from their old worn down shoes. When they do buy new shoes, they know what they need for their feet and terrain; they don't need a chip to tell them what they already know.

These high-tech shoes seem like something that would appeal more to the wannabes. It's their money, so...

Re:Human feet

[tuxette]

You're in on something there. There are quite a few elite runners who train/compete barefoot. For example, Abebe Bikila won his first Olympic marathon running barefoot, and broke the world record.

Here's another interesting site regarding barefoot running/marathoning.

Re:Human feet

[shird]

And do they adjust by giving you more support under the arch of your foot, or increasing the 'suspension' under your heel? You might adjust the way you plant your foot down, but you cant dynamically physically change the support around your foot.

Re:A battery on a running shoe. Think about this..

[btempleton]

Any shoe that's not a perfect device is taking power from your stride, compressing and expanding the rubber etc.

The only issue is whether you can get some electricity, rather than just heat, from this work. And not increase the total work in a way that would be noticed.

There were some projects to make battery chargers in shoes I recall, but they couldn't actually get as much power as they had hoped from pezio. Springs probably would be noticed.

Re:Yeah

[b4k4]

It's not x86 processors the title is referring to. Agent 86 was Maxwell Smart (played by Don Adams) in the '60s TV series "Get Smart."

You know, ther guy with the phone in his shoe?

Re:Every 100 hours of use?

[Malc]

Most runners don't get 100 hours out of their shoes. I'm a slow runner and I do just over 10 km/hr... that would mean running over 1,000 km on them. Faster runners would get closer to 2,000 km. That's really really unrealistic. I got just over 700 km out of my last pair of shoes before my IT bands started getting sore at the hips on anything over 8 km (10 milers became murderous). Mind you, runners who aren't trying to increase their mileage can often get more out of them, but not that much that changing batteries is going to become a pain. Somebody preparing for a half marathon on 40-60 km/week is going to get 3 months use out of them, and still not hit 100 hours.

Re:Crazy runners...

[genus babbage]

Any serious runner will be replacing their shoes every few hundred miles or so; unless they want to become serious hobblers later in life.

Piezo-electrics?

[c4miles]

They make piezo-electric actuators - does that count? (no parts move _relative_ to the others - the material stiffens or bends in response to current). Linky

Re:Running barefoot

[Just Some Guy]

Your legs and feet are not designed for you land on your heels ( but shoe companys and podaitrists would like you to think so ).

Yeah, because I know that my wife spent four years in med school and several more in residency without ever managing to learn the physiology of the part of the body she specializes in. We also get a fat monthly check from the American Heel-Strikers, Inc., for her vocal support of not using your toes.

Signed,
The husband of a podiatrist who knows more about feet than you do.