Yahoo Finance Nike releases new shoes controlled by your smartphone
Nike has announced new trainers which can lace themselves up and be controlled via an app on your smartphone.
The company announced its new Nike Adapt BB shoes on Tuesday, which can automatically adjust their fit and be controlled by a smartphone.
The company is launching a new Adapt app which can be used to control the shoes and adjust their tightness. The shoes will communicate with smartphones through Bluetooth, and can be wirelessly charged through the soles and an accompanying wireless charging pad.
Nike said the battery in the shoes will last for 10 to 14 days on a single charge.
The shoes, which will go on sale in the UK on February 17 for £299.95, will be debuted in two basketball games taking place on Wednesday.
In 2016, Nike released a limited edition run of 89 AirMag shoes, which laced themselves and featured light-up soles. The shoes were modelled on the futuristic trainers worn by Michael J. Fox’s character in Back To The Future Part II and fetched high prices when resold on sites like eBay.
That same year, Nike also released its HyperAdapt 1.0 shoes, which used a more standard shoelace, but still automatically laced themselves up.
Nike said it plans to launch further self-lacing shoes later this year.
Self-lacing shoes are useful for athletes looking for a precise fit on their shoes, as well as people who may find tying their shoelaces difficult.
The emergence of self-lacing shoes could help people like tennis player Andy Murray who struggle with putting on their shoes and tying their laces.
Last week, Murray said he faces imminent retirement from the sport because of pain caused by a hip injury.
“There's little things day to day that are also a struggle and it'd be nice to be able to do them without any pain,” he said. “Putting shoes on, socks on, things like that,” he said.
