In Oct. 21 last year, Nike launched self-lacing sneakers in honor of Back To The Future Day, which is the date when Marty McFly and Doc Brown arrived from the past in their DeLorean time machine in "Back To The Future II."
Nike unveiled the one-of-a-kind replica of the Nike Mag sneakers featured in the iconic movie franchise and then sold it off in an auction to support the Michael J. Fox Foundation.
The sports brand, however, is reviving the self-lacing shoe with the unveiling of the HyperAdapt 1.0, which Nike says is the first product that utilizes the company's latest breakthrough: adaptive lacing.
According to Nike Senior Innovator Tiffany Beers, once the wearer steps into the shoe, a sensor in the heel will be activated, causing the shoe to tighten. Afterwards, two buttons at the side of the shoe can be used to make adjustments to the fit by tightening or loosening the shoe.
Nike designer Tinker Hatfield says the technology solves problems that athletes have long faced by allowing them to make quick adjustments on their shoes' fit. Shoes that are tied too tight could cause excess pressure on the foot, while shoes that are tied too loose could result in slippage.
Beers and Hatfield worked together on different variations of the system, several prototypes and numerous trials in 2013 before they arrived at an underfoot-lacing mechanism. In April 2015, Beers was asked to make the self-lacing Nike Mag in the Back To The Future movies to celebrate the shoe's fictional release date of Oct. 21, 2015.
What most saw as a gimmick was actually the debut of Nike's adaptive lacing technology, which will now be made available in its more technical and sports-geared form through the HyperAdapt 1.0.
"It is amazing to consider a shoe that senses what the body needs in real-time. That eliminates a multitude of distractions, including mental attrition, and thus truly benefits performance," says Hatfield regarding the HyperAdapt 1.0, adding that there is huge potential in adaptive lacing technology.
For future versions of the HyperAdapt, Hatfield is looking to make the shoe capable of sensing when the wearer needs to have it become looser or tighter for an automated and almost symbiotic relationship between the shoe and the wearer.
According to Nike, the HyperAdapt 1.0 will only be made available to Nike+ members starting the holiday season this year. Interested customers can sign up for Nike+ membership through the company's official website.
No price, however, has been revealed yet for the shoe.
