Nike HyperAdapt self-lacing shoes (limited release December 2016).
“Though not waterproof,” the case made of polycarbonate containing the bulk of the brains of the embedded device can “take a beating.” That said, you’d probably want to avoid stepping in a puddle. But chances are if you’re wearing these you’re not wearing them out casually, but for show, and in that regard these shoes are amazing!
I was also intrigued by these lines from Mindtribe’s write-up:
The most interesting feature on the outside of the box is this large peripheral connector, which has several unpopulated pins, and even a 3-pin header coming off of it with nothing connected to the other end.
This might suggest Nike is planning to introduce more peripherals for this system later.
I love seeing future-development in current-release tech. Always interesting to postulate what might come next.
The Nike HyperAdapt is a first-of-its-kind product in an entirely new category. These self-lacing shoes combine intricate mechanisms, sophisticated electronics, and unique textiles. Mindtribe has been in the connected hardware space for 20 years, and it’s been exciting to watch the evolution of wearable, embeddable technology as it moves from smartphones, into wristwatches — and now into everyday wear. The HyperAdapts look and feel great, and it’s hard to overstate how cool it is to have the shoe self-lace around your foot as if by magic. It’ll certainly be interesting to see where Nike takes their concept next.
Our team had the opportunity to look inside a pair. By doing so, we were able to see the systems that drive the concept, and the possibility for further expansion and functionality — a peek back to the future.