Good news for the fashion-forward and lazy alike — Nike is bringing back its self-lacing sneakers for another go. And this time they’re going to be significantly cheaper. Granted, $350 is still more than most of us pay for a pair of kicks, but it’s less than half their original $720 asking price.
Details are pretty thin. CEO Mark Parker touched on the news during an earnings call, stating, “I’m excited to announce that in the new year we’ll launch a new adaptive performance platform in basketball at the $350 price point. We have a smart shoe designed for the perfect fit, and it’s a major step in advancing and connecting our digital transformation to product.”
How closely they’ll resemble the original HyperAdapt — among other pertinent details — remains to be seen. That said, Nike’s been pretty clear that the goal has been dropping the price all along in an attempt to move away from sheer novelty. When I tested them back in 2016, an exec told me, “This is a concept car.” In 2019, it seems they may finally be ready for full production. Still, $350 isn’t quite a populist price point, but it marks a move toward helping mainstream Marty McFly’s long-unrealized dreams.