When Robert Zemeckis’ Back to the Future hit theaters in 1985, audiences around the world were blown away by the film’s take on time travel and the white knuckle, feel-good adventure that came along with it. Though time travel has teased imaginations throughout the ages, it wasn’t until the second Back to the Future film in 1989 when audiences became enamored by more than just the idea of traveling to days past or futures unknown.
The journey of Marty McFly and Doc Brown to the year 2015 showcased a variety of gadgets to an entire generation of kids – many of whom have taken the fictional promise of hoverboards, self-adjusting jackets and self-lacing shoes well into their adult years. To date, very few of the futuristic items presented in Back to the Future 2 have materialized – save for recent hoverboards, which don’t actually hover. However, it now looks as though at least one futuristic marvel will be making its way into the hands of eager consumers as early as late autumn.
The latest news of Nike’s Hyperadapt 1.0 shoes now comes to us courtesy of Wired. It’s certainly been a long time coming (27 years to be exact), but the auto-lacing Nike Mag shoes that Marty McFly is seen using upon his arrival in 2015 have indeed become reality. The sneakers will arrive in stores on November 28, 2016 – though as of this writing the price has yet to be revealed – and you can check them out in full via the above video.
Nike is calling the system used to power the shoes Adaptive Fit Technology and it involves four distinct components. The first aspect is a heel sensor, which alerts the shoe that a foot has entered it. Once alerted to the presence of a foot, the Hyperadapt uses a cable lacing system that is powered by a mini-motor, which tightens and loosens the cables. Lastly, a rechargeable battery powers the entire system. The battery takes three hours to charge and enables the shoes to function for two weeks before needing to be plugged in again. L.E.D. lights along the base of the shoe also provide the wearer with information on everything from whether or not the shoes’ motors are running, to how much battery life is left in them.
A year ago Michael J. Fox was given a pair of self-lacing shoes from Nike. Though the Hyperadapt looks nothing like the Back to the Future 2 Nike Mag that Fox was modelling, both operate on the same Adaptive Fit Technology principle. Some might scoff at the idea of the Hyperadapt – after all, have we really reached a point where tying our own shoes is such an altogether burden? But the idea of never having to worry again about tripping on undone laces, not to mention the potential benefit for those who suffer from mobility issues definitely gives Nike the upperhand in a new era of shoe manufacturing.
With the Nike Hyperadapt 1.0 arriving so close to the Christmas season, there’s certain to be an enormous number of people with the shoes on their wish list. Much like how the iPhone revolutionized the mobile phone industry a little over a decade ago, Nike’s self-lacing shoes could very well become the norm in the years to come – and to think, it all started with a time-traveling Delorean some 27 years earlier.
Nike Hyperadapt 1.0 will hit stores November 28, 2016
