Nike unveils production version of its self-tying shoes

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Sorry to disappoint Back to the Future fans but the self-tying shoes Nike outs for mass production isn’t like the 2015 Air Mag (a.k.a. the literal incarnation of Marty McFly’s famous sneakers). What the sports brand introduced is a more practical (and yes, we have to admit a bit boring) version of it. Called the HyperAdapt 1.0, these new running sneakers, as advertised, will tie the laces on its own once you put them on. While it seems like we’re taking away an important rite of passage for kids (learning to tie laces), these shoes are meant to take the worry away from runners of loosening laces while they pound the pavement. You will need to charge the sneakers though every two weeks.

Tiffany Beers, a Nike senior innovator who worked as the lead on the sneaker, said they started working on the shoe’s technology about 10 years ago but fellow designer Tinker Hatfield had the idea or “vision” for it when he worked on it for Back to the Future II. But they had to wait for the technology to evolve and for motors to become small enough. Their team sourced servo motors, which is similar to the ones used in small train engines and helicopter wings, and studied the transportation industry’s engineering feats to develop their motor. To adjust the fit of the shoes or release the foot, there’s a small plus-minus buttons on the side. And while it has been tested in water, Beers doesn’t recommend these be taken out in a rainstorm. The HyperAdapt will be available to Nike+ app members in three colorways starting in the 2016 holiday season. There’s no retail price for it yet.

Source: HuffPost Sports