Nike unveils futuristic, self-lacing shoes

Image for representational purposes only

New York:  Many of us have wished for a shoe that automatically ties its laces when they get untied while we are running. American sports footwear and apparel brand Nike apparently heard us and on Thursday released the futuristic self-lacing sneakers.

Launched at an event here, the shoes -- named HyperAdapt 1.0 -- resemble the sneakers that Hollywood actor Michael J. Fox wore in the 1989 movie 'Back to the Future 2'. 

Put the sneaker on and it will tighten to the size of your foot using a heel sensor, Quartz reported. 

According to Nike, the real innovation is that you can quickly adapt your sneaker to the changes your foot undergoes when competing, using buttons on the side that let you tweak the fit.

Laces, by contrast, may loosen up, or be tied too tight. Your foot may also change shape during exercise (expanding slightly, for instance). The HyperAdapt is meant to eliminate those problems, the report said.

Right now, an athlete has to make those changes manually but this new product has a goal that can make those changes automatically and create a "nearly symbiotic relationship between the foot and shoe", the company said.

The shoe has a sole that lights up -- maybe to make it look futuristic -- and it makes a slight mechanical wheezing noise when it tightens.

The report pointed out that the sneaker, which runs on a battery that can keep a charge for about two weeks, has been in the works for around 10 years. 

The HyperAdapt 1.0 uses two recent Nike innovations, its Flywire filaments and Flyweave fabric, both of which make the shoes hold more firmly to the foot during sports. 

The HyperAdapt 1.0 will be available in three colours and expected to be released by the end of this year. 

At the moment, the shoe will be available only to members of Nike+, the new app that Nike wants to be a sort of one-stop-shop for athletes.