Inside The Revolutionary Nike Adapt BB, A Custom Shoe for Everyone

Has Nike delivered its promise of an intelligent sports shoe -the Nike Adapt BB- made just for us?

There is a new basketball sneaker in town- the Nike Adapt BB. Not since the introduction of the Nike HyperAdapt 1.0 in 2016, has there been such an electric buzz around the advancing custom fit of the freshest pair of shoes on offer. Described as a multipurpose performance sneaker, Nike’s latest product features power lacing activated by a custom motor and gear train that senses the tension needed by the foot and adjusts accordingly to keep the foot snug.

Image Credit: Nike

The Creation of a Truly Custom Fit Shoe

Working with Nike’s most advanced fit solution to date, the Nike Adapt platform, the company has been able to create a truly custom fit shoe that by manual touch or by using the Nike Adapt app on a smartphone, players can input different fit settings depending on different moments of a game. For example, during a timeout, a player can loosen the shoe before tightening it up as they re-enter the game. Also when paired with the app, the wearer can decide how tight or loose you prefer your footwear.

Image Credit: Nike

On why they picked basketball as the first sport for Nike Adapt Eric Avar, Nike VP Creative Director of Innovation, explained: “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.”

“It [Nike Adapt BB] reminds me of one of the first projects of my Nike career: the Air Huarache, a shoe that fit, felt and definitely looked different.”

The most significant selling point of the Nike Adapt BB has to be the intricate lace engine. It is a modification designed to solve problems for athletes, by offering them a lacing system that neatly closes around their entire foot with the push of a button or a tap on their phone. Also; wearers using Nike Adapt platform — of which Nike Adapt BB is the first — will be able to update and evolve after purchase, letting consumers opt-in to provide you with new services and features through smartphone-like technology.

Image Credit: Nike

On the custom shoe for everyone, Nike stated: “As you could guess, I’m incredibly proud of the team that worked on Nike Adapt BB. Like the athletes we serve, I’ll admit we are some pretty demanding perfectionists, and we have poured years into this project. It reminds me of one of the first projects of my Nike career: the Air Huarache, a shoe that fit, felt and definitely looked different. That instinct to challenge convention has never left me.”

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By continually changing preferences and environments, Nike’s long-term vision is to bring to the forefront exceptional products that adept at the speed of sport to improve an athlete’s performance. Also; they want to build on the customer experience. They are currently doing this by first making sure that when you buy Nike that is when the conversation between you, Nike and your shoes begins. Taking privacy seriously, Nike has made sure that their customers are able to stay in control by giving them the power to decide what data they share with the company. Determined to unlock benefits like never before, through technologically enhanced sneakers, it seems that Nike’s message is clear: “You don’t just connect with footwear through Nike Adapt. You connect with Nike.”

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Founding editor-in-chief of FashNerd.com, Muchaneta is currently one of the leading influencers writing about the merger of fashion with technology and wearable technology. She has also given talks at Premiere Vision, Munich Fabric Start and Pure London, to name a few. Besides working as a fashion innovation consultant for various fashion companies like LVMH Atelier, Muchaneta has also contributed to Vogue Business, is a senior contributor at The Interline and an associate lecturer at London College of Fashion, UAL.