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Nike’s New Self-Lacing Sneakers Are the BACK TO THE FUTURE II Timeline We Want

by Michael Walsh
Jan 16 2019 • 7:50 AM

We would never besmirch Back to the Future II, but it’s a real downer we ended up in the movie’s bad timeline. (The world where Biff is in charge, not the one with hoverboards and flying cars.) Fortunately there’s some hope the good timeline the film promised is becoming a reality, because Nike’s new self-lacing sneakers work just like the ones worn by Marty McFly.

The company has announced the release of their all-new Nike Adapt BB, its “first power lacing shoe that’s built for basketball.” Here’s how the FitAdapt technology work:

“When a player steps into the Nike Adapt BB, a custom motor and gear train senses the tension needed by the foot and adjusts accordingly to keep the foot snug. The tensile strength of the underfoot lacing is able to pull 32 pounds of force (roughly equal to that of a standard parachute cord) to secure the foot throughout a range of movement.”

The Adapt BBs can be activated with the push of a button on the side, or with the Nike Adapt app which allows for customization, including the color of the shoe’s buttons.The sneakers also come with a power mat for wireless charging, though you don’t have to worry about being stuck in them if you lose power. You can still manually loosen the laces to take them off.These aren’t the first self-lacing sneakers Nike has made. In 2016 they had a very limited release for replica Nike Mags, the fictional shoes Marty McFly wore in the movie, but those were more of a novelty, released through a raffle. The Adapt BBs are available for pre-order, and will be sold worldwide starting February, with a price tag of $350. Nike plans to use their FitAdapt technology on non-basketball shoes in the future.These sneakers might not be the exact Back to the Future II timeline we wanted, but it’s a start. Now we just need Nike to get to work on a hoverboard.

Images: Nike