The Nike Adapt BB shoes have been in the works for a while and are actually an improvement on a 2017 release that was simply too expensive to make it as a consumer product. At long last though, following a recent public unveiling, these new, tech-infused Nikes are due for release this month. They could turn out to be some of the most exciting products to come out of Nike in years.
Already dubbed “The Future Of The Game” at Nike’s site, the Adapt BBs are aimed at basketball players, and are capable of various adjustments via built-in technology and an accompanying app. Namely, the shoes tighten and loosen themselves (there are no laces for you to tie), and they also come with decorative LED lights that can change colors. They’re quite attractive as well, and while their functionality doesn’t blow you away in terms of the range of things they can do, they’re still a fascinating start down a brand new path. The bet here is that even at $350, these shoes will sell.
More interesting than their success on store shelves though might be the broader implications of the Nike Adapt BBs. Consider some of the following….
Pro Athlete Use – Nike made an interesting decision to roll out the Adapt BBs not through one of its signature basketball players (LeBron James, Kevin Durant, etc.), but rather through rising star Jayson Tatum. Tatum is a very prominent NBA player, in that he had an incredible playoff breakout in just his rookie season last year, and he plays for the Boston Celtics, who remain a solid bet for the NBA Finals despite a turbulent season. But he’s still not nearly as big a star as some Nike could have asked to model these shoes. But this actually lays the groundwork for later adoption by other pro athletes to represent a step up. That is to say, if other, more seasoned NBA players decide after the rollout to start wearing Adapt BBs, it speaks to their quality and impact, rather than just a marketing scheme. This, more than anything else, might make them very popular.
Others Shoes & Other Companies – Right now this is a single shoe aimed at the single sport of basketball. But there are undoubtedly more athletic shoes around the corner – for runners, soccer players, and basically any and all other kinds of athletes who wear particular shoes. Additionally though, it’s not as if Nike will occupy the smart shoe space all on its own. Puma, which has already mounted a renewed challenge to Nike among young NBA stars, has its own self-lacing shoe already, which is said to give the Nike Adapt BB a run for its money. If these shoes are successful and popular, other athletic brands will undoubtedly get in on the action as well, and frankly we wouldn’t even be surprised to hear about some big tech companies exploring the idea of releasing shoes themselves (Air Apple, anyone?).
New Functions – Nike has essentially said that the Adapt BBs are just the beginning, and that new functions will be added. In fact, the shoes and app are actually equipped for updates, such that new functions can be downloaded, as opposed to people just having to buy upgraded pairs – at least for a while. It’s difficult to imagine exactly what these functions might be, but in future tech-infused sports shoes we could imagine adjustable breathability, increasing design customization, settings for better ankle or foot arch support, etc.
Smarter Functions – If this shoe seems “smart,” there’s a decent bet to be made that it won’t in another five years or so, when later iterations of it are making the adjustments for us. With the Nike Adapt BBs, people still need to use the app to adjust tightness, change the LED lights, etc. But it’s certainly popular that newer versions of the shoe down the line might be able to sense what people need and adjust accordingly, all on its own. One can imagine the pinnacle of this technology being a shoe that, all on its own, perfectly responds to our needs for optimal comfort and functionality at all times.
