Nike has recently unveiled Adapt BB basketball shoes with automatic lacing, inspired by Marty McFly’s technological shoes from the Back To The Future 2 movie. Now, the novelty has got a competitor in the face of Puma Fi.
Autodisc, the first prototype of the current innovation, was released in 2015. But it never appeared on sale. The model was too uncomfortable, heavy and expensive. Now the developers said they were able to find a common ground between convenience, practicality, and accessibility.
Each trainer from the pair of Puma Fi shoes weighs 428 grams, 45 g being pure electronics. At the top, there is a motor which is responsible for self-lacing. A waterproof battery was hidden under the soft insole near the heel, but it is not waterproof.
To tighten the laces, just move your finger up the module located in the center of the shoe. The latter will determine the desired voltage. To manually adjust the laces, you can click on the bottom or top of the module. While lacing, blue LED lights indicate the charge level.
The novelty is charged from a wireless docking station. The battery can be obtained and charged in a special case. 1.5-2 hours of charging are enough for the self-lacing shoes to function during a week. Puma Fi is also managed through a mobile application, which is currently available only in versions for Apple Watch and iPhone.
The cost of the new item is $330 per pair. It will appear on sale no earlier than in a year. Nike Adapt BB will be on sale for $350 in mid-February.
