US – The sportswear brand has developed a connected shoe that continually tightens and loosens its fit based on specific movements and duration of wear.
The Nike Adapt BB is a high-tech basketball shoe with self-tightening laces, and is the brand’s most advanced, connected shoe to date. Responding to the changing needs of the foot throughout the course of a game, the custom fit technology allows the shoe to adapt its shape by using an advanced power-lacing system, a corresponding app and continually updated firmware. Either through touch or by using the Nike Adapt app, wearers can also input different settings manually.
According to Nike, the foot can expand almost half a size during a basketball game. When a player steps into the Nike Adapt BB, the shoe senses the tension needed by the foot and adjusts accordingly. Although the shoe has been developed specifically for basketball, it has implications for the future of footwear and sports apparel. In our Protective Performance Apparel microtrend, we track how advances in material science are driving a new wave of performance wear that protects and supports the body during physical activity.