We Finally Know When We Can Get Our Hands on Nike's Self-Lacing Sneakers Forget about self-driving cars -- these self-lacing sneakers are the next big thing.
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Nike announced on Wednesday that its Back to the Future-inspired self-lacing sneakers will hit select U.S. Nike stores on Nov. 28. The company says to expect a "high price tag" on the futuristic kicks.
Original story, published on March 17, 2016, follows.
Hey, McFly. It's finally here. Nike has just unveiled the HyperAdapt 1.0, the sports apparel giant's first self-lacing, motorized sneakers.
Nike senior innovator Tiffany Beers explained how the high-tech kicks lace themselves up. "When you step in, your heel will hit a sensor and the system will automatically tighten," she said an announcement on Nike's website. "Then there are two buttons on the side to tighten and loosen. You can adjust it until it's perfect."
Ah, customization, at your fingertips and on your feet. Sounds pretty sweet and the shoes look pretty cool, too. (Speaking of sounds, we wonder, can you hear the shoes mechanically adjust?)
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The idea, Nike designer Tinker Hatfield said at a flashy product unveiling yesterday, is to give wearers more control over how loose or tight their shoes fit.
Last year, Hatfield gave Michael J. Fox -- the original Marty McFly from Back to the Future -- a somewhat similar pair of self-tying sneakers. The iconic actor fittingly tried on the not-for-sale limited edition Nike Air MAGs on Oct. 21, 2015. That's the exact date McFly travels to in Back to the Future Part II, when he dons a pair of Nike high-tops that automagically power-lace to his feet.
Flash forward to 2016 and the Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 will be available for purchase right on time for the holiday shopping season. While there's no word yet on how much these light-up, battery-powered trainers will cost, you better start saving. We can't imagine they'll be cheap.
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Not everyone can buy them, though. In a clever marketing maneuver, Nike says you must be a registered user of Nike+, the company's own branded fitness app. If you are and you're interested in picking up a pair, you can sign up to receive email updates from Nike.
In the meantime, there's always Velcro.
