Tripping on our shoelaces is one of those pesky circumstances we never want to deal with, especially if we’ve already fallen flat on our face. In order to prevent untied laces during a basketball layup, Nike has released self-lacing basketball shoes called the Adapt BB.
Although Nike’s less concerned of a basketball player tripping on their shoelaces, they are focused on the fact that a person’s foot can expand almost half its size during a basketball game. A shoe that feels comfortable at the beginning of the game may feel constricted less than 20 minutes later.
Now, Adapt BB’s power-lacing system called FitAdapt allows the shoe to be adjusted manually or with a smartphone app.
“We picked basketball as the first sport for Nike Adapt intentionally because of the demands that athletes put on their shoes,” says Eric Avar, Nike VP Creative Director of Innovation, according to their site. “During a normal basketball game the athlete’s foot changes and the ability to quickly change your fit by loosening your shoe to increase blood flow and then tighten again for performance is a key element that we believe will improve the athlete’s experience.”
‘Gears’ Inside the Smart Shoe
As a player slides their foot into the Adapt BB, a custom motor and gear train senses the tension need by the foot, and promptly adjusts the shoe so the foot is secure. Additionally, the strength of the underfoot lacing can pull 32 pounds of force to secure the foot despite the wearer running or jumping.
As the smart shoe custom fits the foot, it’s also utilizing the brain of the shoe: the FitAdapt technology. By manual touch or using the Nike Adapt app, users can input different fit settings based on specific moments of the game. For instance, a player can loosen his or her shoe during a timeout and tighten it as they return to the court. They can also support different LED colors throughout the game.
Additionally, Adapt BB supports firmware updates, meaning it’s expected to get extra features and improvements as time progresses. One of these features Nike hopes to implement is setting a specific tightness during warm-ups that’s different from when the person is playing.
Undergoing Severe Test Conditions
In order to ensure this shoe could endure numerous basketball games, the Nike Adapt BB was put through numerous tests, such as impact tests, severe temperature, end-of-life tests that lasted tens of thousands of cycles, and waterproof tests for sweaty feet. The shoe endured nearly 80 gallons of water in three minutes, ran 300 miles, had almost 3,000 continuous lacing cycles from tight to loose, sat in 140 degree F weather, and more.
But, even after all this testing, it still had one final trial: professional basketball players. Jayson Tatum, from the Boston Celtics, and other professional players tested the shoe at the Nike World Headquarters in Oregon.
“Bill Bowerman’s original insight was that fit is the foundation of athletic performance,” said Avar, according to the site. “The Nike Adapt BB helps the athlete find their custom fit and provides uncompromising lockdown, feel and traction throughout a game, but we knew it would only be validated once the game’s best players tried it out.”
Although the shoe doesn’t have all the bells and whistles Nike foresees it having in the future, they hope this smart shoe can be projected onto other sports and lifestyle products to fit in different environments.