Nike's Self-Lacing Shoes Will Go On Sale This Year (arstechnica.com)

An anonymous reader writes: The Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 self-lacing shoes have been officially unveiled. We know they will go on sale later this year, but we do not know the price. "When you step in, your heel will hit a sensor and the system will automatically tighten," explained Tiffany Beers, the project's technical lead. There are two buttons on the side of the shoe that allow you to tweak how loose or tight the laces are. The concept behind the HyperAdapt shoes bring to mind Marty McFly's Nike Mags from Back to the Future, even if they do not look very similar. Nike hasn't yet revealed how the shoes work from a technical point of view but they do lineup with the US patent filed by the company in 2009. The HyperAdapt 1.0 shoes will be exclusively available to users of the Nike+ app later this year in three color combinations -- white, grey and black.

Comments

Battery powered

[Meshach]

From the article:

Presumably the lacing mechanism is battery-powered, but there's no word on how long the battery might last or how you might recharge it.

I never thought I would see the day where shoes would be battery powered.

Imaging not being able to take off shoes because the battery is dead.

Re:Battery powered

[BeauHD]

It's just one more (two more, technically) device to charge at night.

Re:Battery powered

[Meshach]

And no word yet on whether or not laces are a user serviceable part.

Re:Battery powered

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe it charges the battery by piezoelectric effect? Aaah, but that's too elegant. Chances are good when the batteries run out, you have to buy new shoes. Because why would Nike make something elegant when they could instead go for profit?

Re:Battery powered

[Anonymous Coward]

Imagine getting electric shock because battery shorted out or water enter your shoe

Now if it's lithium battery imagine it explode and catch fire. WOO HOO.

Re:Battery powered

[Anonymous Coward]

Imagine the DMCA takedown notice when you post how you managed to get your shoes off with a hack (screwdriver) when the batteries ran out.

Re:Battery powered

[techno-vampire]

Even worse, imagine your fancy and expensive shoes becoming worthless trash because a wire breaks.

Re:Battery powered

[PolygamousRanchKid]

Uh-oh . . . you should read the fine print in the EULA . . . your feet are now property on the Nike Corporation!

Re:Battery powered

[dknj]

During the release in New York they claimed the battery should expect 2 weeks of usage and takes 3 hours to charge. You can always remove the shoe because it defaults to an open circuit (if i interpret the patent correctly, it "ratchets down" the shoe to a snug size. without power you can manually "open" the sneakers)

Re:Battery powered

[ArmoredDragon]

An easy solution, perhaps, would be a mechanism that charges the battery as you walk.

Re:Battery powered

[ortholattice]

When my son was young, I bought him those velcro-fastened shoes. You could instantly fasten, unfasten, and adjust them to whatever tension you want. It seems to me they had all the advantages of these "self-lacing" shoes and also had no battery to wear out. And I'm sure they were far less expensive. I would be surprised if these new shoes, which likely whirr a second or two while the motors run, are as fast as velcro fasteners, which respond literally instantly to a slight pull.

Re:Battery powered

[Hylandr]

Brings new meaning to the term 'hotfoot'.

Re:Battery powered

[fermion]

I never know if I am on a tech site or the old fogeys ranting about how the young uns are making the world go to hell. Do people actually do innovative things, or is everyone those people who are going to leave their company because they no longer get free Red Bull.

Honestly this is kind of silly but no more silly than an app to track where you are going, or an app to get you laid because you are too lazy to leave your house. I am interested in seeing how this works and seeing how this evolves. I would think that many people around here would be interested as well, unless of course most of the people around here work at the buggy whip factory.

Re: Battery powered

[valdezjuan]

As mentioned above this comment, there are a number of disabled patients that have a hard time with even velcro. Hopefully they will be able to vet the tech en mass and that will drive costs down and increase the amount of shoes that can have this option w/out the shiny lights.

Re:Battery powered

[Plus1Entropy]

I never thought I would see the day where shoes would be battery powered.

You don't remember LA Lights from the early 90s? Those things were the shit.

Re:Battery powered

[Darinbob]

Every parent knows that the kids shoes need to be replaced very often. So an expensive pair of shoes that get thrown again in a few months versus teaching the kid how to tie the damn shoes...

Re:Battery powered

[vtcodger]

"two more, technically"

That would depend on how many feet you have, would it not?

Re:Battery powered

[Anonymous Coward]

They should make a loose fitting shoe with a pump on the tongue to make them tight around the foot that is not reliant on batteries.

Re:Battery powered

[penguinoid]

I never thought I would see the day where shoes would be battery powered.

I guess you must have missed all those blinky lights shoes.

Re: Battery powered

[Anonymous Coward]

And the people who have such a hard time moving a piece of flexible fabric on top of another piece of fabric are going to be active enough that they even need to put on shoes in the first place? Are they then going to go out running or driving to the store? They likely don't have the foot control to even get their feet into the shoes.

My grandma can't reach her feet and it takes her literally over 30 seconds to stand up or sit down on her own. She uses slippers. Old people with walkers don't back up. They shuffle their feet and turn around, so you don't need to worry about their slippers falling off.

Now if the shoe opening was as wide as her foot and it enveloped her like a fox trap, then it could be useful. But the tech isn't there yet and it'd be far more expensive and would have tons of better uses before it made it into shoes.

Re:Battery powered

[LordWabbit2]

Last night my friend asked to use a USB port to charge his cigarette, but I was using it to charge my book. The future is stupid. http://qdb.us/310406

Re:Battery powered

[invictusvoyd]

Manual override !!! .. behind the heel

Re:Battery powered

[Anonymous Coward]

Imaging not being able to take off shoes because the Lithium battery has burst into flames.

Re:Battery powered

[KGIII]

That was my first thought. I figured I'd see if anyone mentioned this. Then again, I suspect that the people buying these shoes will take quite a bit of care about how they're treated. As in, cleaning them nightly with a toothbrush and only wearing them on special occasions. Some people are really passionate about their "kicks." Pimping and preening does have a focus on footwear - to the point of obsession and collectibles and underground with black-, gray-, and used-markets. I know a number of people who are quite attentive to their footwear.

I could be said to be that way but at a different level. I do wear "normal" footwear - sort of. However, I have nice shoes and some nice custom footwear. I'm also really big on socks. I do kind of pamper my feet a little, they're important to me. I usually wear footwear from L.L. Bean. Actually, my typical footwear is the moccasins from L.L. Bean - they're really slippers. I have varieties with soles and without. I wear those everywhere - I do mean everywhere, even out in the snow.

But, I've got boots and shoes and custom shoes and custom dress shoes. I've probably got a half dozen types of boots and a dozen pairs of shoes, then a few pairs of slippers/moccasins and sneakers. My preference is not sneakers but I own some though I think two pairs would have to be called hiking sneakers.

The other thing this made me think of - why limit the airbags? Instead of them all just having once sensor, why not have the ability to customize the pressures provided? Then, they might even have some therapeutic value. They might even consider a low-cost version that's not decorated and meant for games and looks. They could be actual functional footwear and they could (I'm betting) also add customized support with the ability to control where the pressure is most applied. They could have separate airbags and they could allow one to adjust those according to their comfort zones.

That, I'd imagine, would be valuable for therapy. With the use of an app, they could (easily) have memory settings. Press the button for hiking, for running, for comfort, for a bunch of support in the ankle, maybe raise and lower the heel. They could even do something that is above ankle with the same sort of features and allow the same sort of setting savings. Being able to tighten up on the way down the mountain is nice. The settings would be stored in the device, that's not hard at all. Hell, they could open up the patent (fat chance) and actually open up the protocol to speak with them.

It might even be useful for diagnostics and testing therapy results. Let's say you broke your ankle and they want to monitor your progress. This can be determined by checking your walking pattern. Those sensors could save data to your phone and keep it encrypted. You could then share that with your therapist or, maybe, the podiatrist. Want to watch a kid's walking pattern and see how they are impacted by their braces? Welcome to the data... They could even license it at low cost, maybe license it to third-world medical professionals for free.

Yeah, I'm probably asking too much at this point. But - once they make it able to withstand the abuses from normal use then it really could have some other interesting benefits that I'd not seen anyone mention yet. I don't see them opening up the platform and patents. That's unfortunate. They have kids making them. They might as well do something good with the products or the money. Maybe someone should write 'em a letter - but probably only after checking with therapists and podiatrists who can give a valuable opinion as to any potential health benefits. They could ask some sports-medicine folks, some of those guys know what they're talking about.

Re:Battery powered

[KGIII]

One of my favorites is the multiple stories about criminals who have been spotted, tracked, or apprehended because of the lights in their shoes. It's also as good as the many stories about those who are otherwise impeded by their fashion choices, often to dire conclusions. Hats, hair styles, girdles, and footwear have killed people - many people. Pants worn around the knees sometimes have dire consequences, in today's world, that sometimes includes physical harm - including death and imprisonment.

I don't welcome or want these folks to die. I am, however, amused by the circumstances of their demise or otherwise getting comeuppance. Quite a few people have suffered hardship due to fashion choices and this has been done throughout history - it's even the subject of a couple of full-length documentaries. Fate is a fickle beast and the skeins she weaves have knots and twists that appear to only serve as lessons or entertainment. For whose entertainment is, as always, subject to debate.

Re:Battery powered

[Anonymous Coward]

So when your Tesla's battery is near dead, you have to find a charging station with 2 available plugs. One for your Tesla, and one for your shoes. I see a future of empty restaurants with charging stations for electric cars. Empty restaurants, because the electric car owners also have to charge their shoes!

That's a hole in the market! I'm going to make a messenger bot for my restaurant chain that has an outside and inside electric charge station. Outside for the car or bike. Inside near the ground for the shoes and on the table for the smart phone/tablet! The messenger bot can also be used to order the food and drinks, because you can't go to the counter anymore when your shoes are hooked up to the charger. Luckily Google's Boston Dynamic Robots is for sale. I can now fully automate the restaurant and let the food serve by Google's Atlas Robot.

Re:Battery powered

[Anonymous Coward]

"Hey! Watch out! Your shoe laces are loose. You'd better tie them."

"Well yeah, I know, but the batteries are dead, I can't tie them ..."

Re:Battery powered

[coinreturn]

An easy solution, perhaps, would be a mechanism that charges the battery as you walk.

Don't get enough exercise? Sleep in your shoes, asshole!

Re: Battery powered

[Anonymous Coward]

Using a fixed-width font in your posts makes you look like a moron.

Re: Battery powered

[Anonymous Coward]

Only sold in pairs.

Grand-Dad, back in the Olden Days

[turkeydance]

did you REALLY have to tie your own shoes?

Re: Grand-Dad, back in the Olden Days

[Anonymous Coward]

More technological solutions in search of problems... Brought to you by fat Americans.

Re:Grand-Dad, back in the Olden Days

[Anonymous Coward]

did you REALLY have to tie your own shoes?

Yes, uphill, in the snow, both ways!

Re:Grand-Dad, back in the Olden Days

[Anonymous Coward]

not only that but it was a 10 mile hike to school, up hill both ways, in terrible blizzards... and yes, we'd often have to stop part way to re-tie our boots.

Re:Grand-Dad, back in the Olden Days

[Maritz]

You had BOOTS?!? Pfft...!

Self lacing

[Anonymous Coward]

They are not so much self-lacing as they are self-tightening. Reebok has had their pump shoes since the early ninety's, including ones where you could carry around a CO2 cartridge to fill them. Shoes are just bizarre.

Re:Self lacing

[Anonymous Coward]

What belongs to the ninety? Why didn't you also write shoe's or one's?

No real impact on me

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't put my own shoes on or tie them, that's for peasants. I guess I will be able to employ a couple more people to walk with me while I tour the grounds and have them press the buttons anytime I've stopped for more than 3.7 seconds (but not before, or it's pink slip time).

Re:No real impact on me

[sgage]

OK Donald.

Re:No real impact on me

[Plus1Entropy]

Ahem, that's The Donald.

Something for the spazes

[Anonymous Coward]

I mean if you can't tie your own laces. I suppose they might be useful on a changing room of homos ( who'd risk bending over to tie their shoes there?).

Re:Something for the spazes

[mattyj]

The homos?

Re:Something for the spazes

[richy freeway]

The spazes!

too much soft living

[Anonymous Coward]

LUDICROUS.
 

BTTF

[monkeyman.kix]

Marty Mcfly is like "Uhh Doc. We have a problem, These self lacing shoes are a year late, we gotta go back in time to fix this!"

New meme

[rmdingler]

Cheesus... I thought the getting up to change the television channel meme was going to last till I had a grandchild.

"When I was a kid, we had to learn to tie our own shoes!"

Re:New meme

[Anonymous Coward]

to be fair, loafers and velcro took care of the shoe tieing problem years ago. They just weren't cool enough to compete with laces in the free market.

Tiffany Beers!

[Anonymous Coward]

Best name ever!

Had these when I was a kid

[Gavagai80]

Instead of pushing a button to adjust tightness, I just pulled two straps to the desired tightness. They called it "velcro" and it worked quite well and quite fast for those who didn't want to / couldn't tie their shoes, for hundreds less dollars.

Re:Had these when I was a kid

[Anonymous Coward]

^ this.

I would say "worked well" is an understatement if you talking about ease of use and fool proof. Never understood why people hated velcro shoes so much, although I also thought clip on ties got a bad wrap too, so...

Re:Had these when I was a kid

[Zero__Kelvin]

Imagine a "sister" product, two (sic) wit a brassiere! :-)

Re:Had these when I was a kid

[93 Escort Wagon]

I've actually got some New Balance walking shoes that use Velcro rather than laces - they're great!

Re:Had these when I was a kid

[Anonymous Coward]

Even today I much prefer my motorcycle boots for that very reason. I slip them on and slap the velcro closed. Much easier and faster than my traditional "modern" boots and shoes. Velcro always eventually fails though, always... As you use loop-type fasteners they wear out and they wear out much faster than simple strings. So not really a perfect solution.

Re:Had these when I was a kid

[Chris Mattern]

I think good-quality Velcro should last as least as long as a shoelace before it breaks--but replacing the Velcro is much more difficult.

Re:Had these when I was a kid

[KGIII]

Lacing hoop-style laced boots is actually really, really fast once you get the hang of it. I do mean super fast. You put your finger between the two laces and, moving upwards, you move back and fourth in a zigzag pattern. It probably takes maybe a second and a half to lace your boots and get them tight to the proper tightness.

Still...

[sycodon]

Springs, bouncy soles, fancy graphics, LEDs, etc...those are gimmicks that idiots fall for.

Self lacing is a practical advantage for millions of disabled people.

Re:Still...

[nmb3000]

Self lacing is a practical advantage for millions of disabled people.

This was my first thought as well. I can understand the need to make the first version of these shoes flashy -- to make them appeal to the target demographic (oh look shiny!) -- but once they've refined the technology and reduced costs, I completely expect them to make some traditional styles designed for disabled and elderly folks who have a difficult time even with velcro straps.

As for power concerns, it will be interesting to see what the storage and charging system is. Perhaps the motors consume little enough that just walking around could generate enough charge to run the laces motors a couple of times. If not, then a wireless charging mat could work.

Re:Still...

[Anonymous Coward]

Wouldn't lace-less shoes be even better?

Re:Still...

[Darinbob]

Velcro straps, those work well. Also the spiral laces, those work too. With no batteries either.

Re:Still...

[Nationless]

Or, you know, Velcro.

Or even just slip on shoes.

If someone can't toe their shoelaces due to disability then having to change batteries isn't going to be a walk in the park either.

Re:Still...

[antdude]

Ditto. I can't even tie shoes because of my disabilities. :( I miss those long strap laces when I was younger. They don't make and sell those in local stores any more. :(

Re:Still...

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't they require the Nike+ App? So then what about people with Hand disabilities who don't have a phone? Items of Clothing shouldn't require a phone, IMHO.

It may not require it though, I was only looking at the last line: "The HyperAdapt 1.0 shoes will be exclusively available to users of the Nike+ app later this year". So I guess they just get it first.

Re:Still...

[KGIII]

Watch the video, they've got buttons on the shoes. That and, you know, shoes aren't for everyone - as in, no one pair suits everyone. Don't be silly and say they won't work for disabled people, they're not meant for disabled people.

Which is unfortunate. If you expand the thread, you'll see that I posted elsewhere that these might have therapeutic and other beneficial features and that they should look into that and licensing their patent or allowing access (for free) to the protocol would be good. However, to cite these particular shoes as not being fit for disabled people like the intent was to be fit for disabled people is disingenuous. Of course they're not meant for disabled people. Do you see a handicapped sign on them?

It'd be nice if they were for disabled people and I'd not be surprised if this technology could be used for disabled people - AND to be done so for very low prices. Therapeutic shoes and custom shoes are VERY expensive. Special shoes that qualify as medical devices are extremely expensive if you want anything good and/or fashionable. They're also a boon to those who are disabled. This might, I do not know, have the power to change that. They should look into that and consider carefully what they'll give to the world.

Still, at this point, of course they're not fucking fit for disabled people. Why you'd think that's salient is beyond me. Though, it does make sense that you'd mention hand disabilities with that. Someone, somewhere, might want to consider getting access to this tech and using it for disabled people, it would be great if they did.

I loved them back when...

[Anonymous Coward]

They were called Velcro. No batteries required.

Christmas!

[ShieldW0lf]

This will be the perfect gift for the retards on your shopping list! They can finally ditch the velcro and blend in with the non-paste-eating crowd!

Re:Christmas!

[Zero__Kelvin]

"This will be the perfect gift for the retards on your shopping list!"

No. This will not get me to add you to my shopping list. Nice try though, retard.

Are they really?

[Anonymous Coward]

Are they self-lacing, self-lace-tightening, or self-lace-tying? I believe the distinctions are significant.

Re:Are they really?

[Zero__Kelvin]

It doesn't matter if the drugs you are on are self-lacing, self-lace-tightening, or self-lace-tying. They are laced. That's what matters.

A teammate had velco closures on his shoes...

[rnturn]

... back in the very early '70s.

Batteries not required. These are a solution in search of a problem. Maybe Nike ought to try and help figure out why so many runners get injured when wearing modern running shoes instead of wasting R&D money automating something that the vast, vast majority of people master before kindergarden.

Re:Every automation is an amputation

[Zero__Kelvin]

I'm looking forward to a world where ostensibly intelligent grown adults don't feel the need to write a** rather than ass

I'll stick with VELCRO

[rossdee]

Thanks, but no thanks

I have to wonder...

[93 Escort Wagon]

Will these shoes work as well as passive safety belts did, back a few decades ago?

TSA Freakout

[bugs2squash]

The TSA will lose it when they see the batteries on an X-ray. Their setup is specially tuned to detect only harmless things.

WooHoo!

[msauve]

Lazy people, and those who never learned to tie their shoes will be ever grateful!

Lazy Fat Americans

[Anonymous Coward]

Breaking news! Lazy Fat Americans get even fatter!

Cycle racing shoes to come ?

[Zoxed]

I can see a potential use in cycle racing shoes: cycling all day you do not want shoes too tight, but come to a sprint and you do want them tight.
Current shoes have quick adjust, but then other riders can see you preparing. A couple of small buttons on the handlebars and you can tighten up without anyone knowing. 1/4 second could be the difference between winning and loosing.
Also if you miss the jump you can tighten up faster, and join in.

But will they...

[Chrisq]

But will they... "Give me three D vision and the California blues".

Re:Every automation is an amputation

[Maritz]

How d'you feel about velcro? It's probably more fun.

This product . . . .

[Anonymous Coward]

is for people who never really wanted to learn how to tie their shoes.

Good lord, man!

[Chris Mattern]

You've invented the loafer!

Prior Art

[Anonymous Coward]

I've seen this before......
Samurai Jack, Episode XXVI: Jack's Sandals