Why Nike's self-lacing shoes could herald sports' cyborg future

The next step is designing smart wear that makes you a better athlete

Nike is innovating footwear,
(Image credit: Nike)

The Chicago Cubs may not have won the 2015 World Series, but that doesn't mean all of Back to the Future Part II's predictions were off base. In March, Nike unveiled self-lacing shoes that look a whole lot like Marty McFly's. They even gave the first pair to Michael J. Fox.

Called the HyperAdapt 1.0, the shoe is expected to be available to Nike+ members in time for the 2016 holiday season. The sneaker is a genius feat of marketing, yes, but it's also a surefire sign of the promising performance-enhancing developments to come in smart gear and apparel.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.