Nike lace-up sneakers lose their app and their greatest value – Yanko Design

Ever since Marty McFly first demoed the idea of ​​self-lacing shoelaces in Back to the Future, the footwear industry has been trying to figure out how to turn that fantasy into reality. As the brand that actually made the movie prop, Nike has been at the forefront of the endeavor, and actually released a few pairs of “self-lacing” sneakers years ago. They may have been a hit at the time because of their novelty, but the shoemaker no longer saw any reason to make new models or continue to support the ones that already existed. In fact, it just announced the discontinuation of not only this unique Adapt BB line, but also its app, which will make some owners rethink their purchase.

Designers: Nike

“Self-lacing sneakers” aren’t as magical as they might sound, as they simply use magnets and electronics to tighten or loosen the shoes. With the Adapt BB line, which launched in 2019, you could do this, along with other features, by pressing buttons on the side of the shoes or, more conveniently, using a smartphone app. That app also offered settings you couldn’t do on the shoes themselves, most notably changing the colors of the buttons’ lights or saving three preset tightness settings.

However, Nike has stopped producing its self-lacing sneakers and will also stop producing its mobile apps on August 6. Adapt BB owners don’t need to panic, at least not yet, because they can still install the app until that date and the app will remain installed on their phones even if it disappears from the Google Play Store and Apple App Store. However, that does mean that you won’t be able to install or even transfer the app after that day, so if you lose your phone or switch devices, you’re out of luck.

Thankfully, the shoes themselves still work without the app, but it’s mostly a manual affair without some conveniences. For example, you can no longer change the light colors and it only saves a preset. However, you can still make the shoe tighter or looser by pressing the buttons, which requires you to bend down like any normal shoe. It might still seem a little advanced, but it’s not as mind-blowing as the original.

The announcement does raise some concerns and questions, however. For one, the Adapt BB loses one of its greatest appeals: its accessibility for people who might have trouble lacing and unlacing sneakers. It also paints a somewhat dubious future for smart wearables like these. While people are used to changing phones nearly every two years and manufacturers dropping support sooner rather than later, most of us keep our wardrobe and shoes until they’re no longer usable, and manufacturer support is rare if not unheard of.