Nike reveals new self-lacing basketball shoes you can control with your phone

Nike's already replicated the self-lacing shoes from Back to the Future Part II. Now they're taking things a step further with a smartphone app.

The company's latest creation, the Adapt BB basketball shoe, is another advancement in the self-lacing technology that Nike made available to consumers with the HyperAdapt 1.0 back in 2016, but with new features and sophisticated design tweaks built in.

As soon as you step into the Adapt BB, the shoe's motor begins to sense the exact tension needed by your foot and makes adjustments, applying up to 32 pounds of pressure to make sure you have a snug fit. What really sets the shoe apart, though, is the use of FitAdapt technology, which will then allow the wearer to continually adjust the fit of the shoe either manually or through the companion app. The shoe was designed with basketball players in mind because feet can expand as much as half a size during a basketball game, so players need a shoe they can adjust on the fly. The Adapt BB allows them to loosen the shoe during timeout, set it to warm-up mode, or tighten it for clutch plays, all at the push of a button.

“We picked basketball as the first sport for Nike Adapt intentionally because of the demands that athletes put on their shoes,” Eric Avar, Nike VP creative director of innovation, said. “During a normal basketball game the athlete’s foot changes and 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 also comes with a charging pad for easy charging of the shoes when they aren't being worn (yes, you can still take them off if the battery dies while you're wearing them), and will include built-in firmware updates, so wearers can take advantage of new features in FitAdapt technology as they become availabe. You can even change the color of the built-in lights.

Nike Adapt BBs are now available for pre-order and will arrive next month. They're priced at $350 a pair.