This past Spring, Nike announced that its first pair of self-lacing shoes, the HyperAdapt 1.0, would come to market later this year. Although it’s not the Air Mag that every “Back to the Future” fan has been craving for almost three decades, it’s still exciting to see self-lacing shoes finally materialise.
In a recent interview with “WIRED” magazine, Tinker Hatfield (Vice President for Design and Special Projects of Nike) and Tiffany Beers (Nike Senior Innovator) give us more insight into the HyperAdapt 1.0. Thanks to Adaptive Lacing technology, or as Tinker Hatfield likes to call it: E.A.R.L. (short for electro adaptive, reactive lacing), when a wearer slips his foot into the shoe, a sensor located in the heel will automatically activate and the shoe laces will then tighten. There are two buttons on the side for wearers to adjust the tightness of fit. The HyperAdapt 1.0 is chargeable through a magnetic adaptor, which takes three hours to charge fully; expect the battery to last for two weeks. A LED light in each heel indicates the amount of battery power remaining and reminds the wearer to charge the shoes before the battery completely discharges.
Nike has finally confirmed the HyperAdapt 1.0 will be available on November 28. The company strongly suggests that customers make an appointment through the latest Nike+ app to purchase the shoes. The sad news is that the shoes will only be available in the U.S and pricing has yet to be determined.
