Over the last few days Nike unveiled a few brand new sportswear technologies, the HyperAdapt 1.0 shoes, and their plethora of new Olympic team uniforms. Their new power lacing shoes are a decade in the making, while the updates to their uniform technology is set to quickly improve on the past.
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Nike has been securing patents over the last ten years which has led to the release of the HyperAdapt 1.0, the first ever mass produced, power-lacing shoe. Nike’s self lacing and self fitting shoes have a sensor in the heel so as a user steps into the shoes they tighten and adjust automatically. The shoes also have two buttons, plus and minus, on the outside to allow for self-adjustment, to tighten or loosen the shoes, based on personal preference. The extremely small motors in the shoes tighten and loosen by adjusting the cabling system inside the shoe.
The 1.0 model should adjust to the users liking even more after a couple of wears. Nike thinks that as their technology progresses they will be able to develop shoes that make reactive and minute adjustments by themselves, based on biometric data from the user.
The HyperAdapt 1.0 shoe’s design does not stand out too much from other Nike products, nor do they look clunky, and at first glance there is no indication that they are in fact wearable technology. However, they are of course not your average sneaker, as they are battery powered and those batteries need to be charged. A full charge takes roughly three hours and will last for about two weeks. The LED lights on the soles as well as the back of the shoes are there to indicate the power level, blue meaning they are fully charged, then slowly transitioning into red, indicating a need to be recharged.
The shoes will be available in three different colors, and will feature a few distinct brandings, aside from the classic swoosh and name. E.A.R.L. (electro-adaptive reactive laces) is clearly visible on the tongue of one of the shoes. While the soles of the HyperAdapt 1.0 are branded with, MT2, after the shoes designers: Tiffany Beers, Tinker Hatfield, and CEO Mark Parker. The price of these sneakers has not yet been determined, but Nike has some time to work that out as the 1.0’s will not be available until the 2016 holiday season. When Nike finally does make them available to the public, the new Nike + app -coming out in June 2016- will be the only place they can be purchased.
The second big release from Nike this week were the new team uniforms for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio. Nike will have new designs and technology for all of their athletes, but they focused on the new gear for basketball, track & field, and soccer.
The Nike basketball uniforms will be 35% more breathable than the previous Olympic jerseys. They will also feature a brand new waistband technology called FlyVent, which creates a balance of tightness while almost going unnoticed. The jersey itself is engineered with knit mesh on the back and has a four-way stretch woven fabric on the front. There will also be optional add ons, based on player preference, such as breathable padded compression sleeves for arms and knees.
The new 2016 USA @Nike Vapor Kit with Aeroswift Technology has arrived.https://t.co/KG0kmoSXD6
— U.S. Soccer WNT (@ussoccer_wnt) March 17, 2016
The soccer uniforms are made out of brand new thread that has a texturized surface to wick away sweat 20% faster while drying 25% quicker than the last model. The new Nike Vapor jerseys are made with AeroSwift technology so they are 10% lighter and 50% more stretchable. The track & field jerseys are more lightweight this time around as well, as they incorporate that same tech. They are also much more aerodynamic than every before using Nike’s AeroBlades technology, which reduces air and wind drag on the athlete.
Nike is often on the forefront of innovation and with these recent announcements they are continuing to prove why they are one of the biggest sports brands in the world. As technology proves to be paramount for many other sportswear companies, it should be expected that Nike will keep the tech-based gear coming.