Reality hasn’t exactly lived up to the future promised to us in Back to the Future. Our hoverboards don’t hover and occasionally burst into flames, and when we finally got self-lacing sneakers, they cost $720. Things are looking up for 2019 though, when Nike will launch a second generation of the hi-tech sneakers at a much more affordable $350 price point. The news was first reported by the sneaker culture site SoleCollector.
Nike confirmed the news in its most recent earnings call during which its Executive Vice President said that the sneakers would launch in spring of the new year, and designed to be used on the basketball court. Nike said it’s “just one better fit solution amongst many” that the company will be rolling out throughout the year.
Nike’s original self-lacing sneakers were produced as a limited edition, with proceeds going towards Parkinson’s disease research.
Animation: Nike
We shouldn’t be surprised that Nike is developing another pair of these adaptive sneakers, especially after it went to the trouble of including a telling “1.0” in the name of its first generation HyperAdapt shoes. That said, even at less than half the price you might still struggle to justify the cost. Nike is promising that they’ll deliver a “perfect fit,” but then again my current shoes feel pretty snug as it is, and that’s without having to charge any batteries.