It was announced on Back to the Future Day last year that Nike made the "power laces" made famous in Back to the Future II. They weren't available to the public when they were announced. Well...


Nike doesn't refer to it's technology as self-lacing, but as "adaptive lacing."

From Nike:

Welcome the Nike HyperAdapt 1.0, the first performance vehicle for Nike’s latest platform breakthrough, adaptive lacing. The shoe translates deep research in digital, electrical and mechanical engineering into a product designed for movement. It challenges traditional understanding of fit, proposing an ultimate solution to individual idiosyncrasies in lacing and tension preference.

Functional simplicity reduces a typical athlete concern, distraction. “When you step in, your heel will hit a sensor and the system will automatically tighten,” explains Tiffany Beers, Senior Innovator, NIKE, Inc., and the project’s technical lead. “Then there are two buttons on the side to tighten and loosen. You can adjust it until it’s perfect.”

Pressure censors tighten the shoe when you put your foot in them. If the pressure is too tight, it's a simple push of a button on the shoe to adjust.

The LED lights on the shoe tell you how much battery life is left. You'll need about a 3 hour charge every two weeks.

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