Nike Adapt BB, the connected and self-lacing basketball shoes

Nike introduced in 2016 the first self-lacing multipurpose shoe, called the HyperAdapt. The evolution is called Nike Adapt. It combines power-lacing system and a complete, connected customization of the fit. Nike says that during a game the foot of a basketball’s players can expand almost a half-size. The Adapt BB provide a solution for this problem with a totally customized fit for every player. When the athlete steps into them, a motor adjusts the shoes to keep the foot snug; the player can also input different fit settings depending on the different game’s moments, like during timeouts or warm-up, by manual touch or using a dedicated app, which also controls the colors of the leds (wow!).

The shoes are the result of an long research and have been tested both in lab – impact tests, intense temperature, waterproof tests – and on the court by pro players like Celtics’ small forward Jayson Tatum. “During a normal basketball game the athlete’s foot changes”, says Eric Avar, Nike VP Creative Director of Innovation. “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”. The Adapt BB, which will get new features with updates both to the firmware and the shoes’ app, will be available in February.