Posted on 09/23/2016 9:52:50 PM PDT by aquila48
Nike has finally announced when it will begin selling its self-lacing sneakers inspired by the shoes worn by Michael J. Fox in Back to The Future II. According to a tweet from the company's Heidi Burgett, the HyperAdapt 1.0 will be available for "experience & purchase" starting on the 28th of November, but only in select Nike locations in the US. Pricing is still unknown, but expect a "high price tag," according to a Wired feature on the shoe's development.
You can check out the full story from Wired for a more detailed look at how the sneakers were made, but here are the key points. Each shoe has an internal cable system made from fishing line and a pressure sensor in the sole. When you put your foot in, the cables tighten based on "an algorithmic pressure equation," and this fit can be adjusted throughout the day with a pair of buttons near the tongue.
LEDs in the heel light up when the shoes are tightening and when it's on low battery, and all the internal electronics mean that yes, you do have to charge these shoes. It takes three hours for a full charge and each charge last about two weeks, with Nike providing a magnetic clip-on charger similar to that used by Apple for the Apple Watch. It's also worth noting that the thick nylon laces you see on the top of the sneaker are just "visual aids" they tighten, but they're not what's keeping the shoe hugged to your foot. You can watch the video below from Wired for a closer look:
(Excerpt) Read more at theverge.com ...
So how do you get them off if the batteries die out when you’re wearing them?
Great - the clip-on ties of the sneaker world.....anything to keep overcharging for a product.....
Will those shoes allow you to text your homies?
Great for liberals and Americans of African descent who have to hire people to tie their shoe laces currently.
I'd guess that this won't be a commonly-heard excuse for being late to work.
Another excuse for inner city break-the-window shopping sprees when another criminal is shot by police!
The price of having to charge your shoes overnight.
no TV so no TV remote
no dishwasher
no garage door, so no garage door opener
yes auto-trans, first car i've owned that wasn't standard
yes washer
no dryer
no escalators within 50 miles from here
yes elevators
so guess i'm only a partial Luddite... 8^)
Version 2.0 will be self charging by generating power every time you take a step. In fact it should be able to generate way more power than it needs, so you can charge your phone with it, or sell it back to the grid. (Another patent I should apply for.)
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