Nike’s new $350 smart sneaker will require recharging

The Adapt debuted last Wednesday in an NBA game.

Nike has found a newway to capturemore information about its customers: through their sneakers.

Atanevent lastweekcalled the “Future of Footwear,” Nike unveiled a new shoe concept, called Nike Adapt, that tracks performance in real time, allowing the company to give weekend warriors athletic tips and also sell them more products.

“It’s the start of a new day,” said Michael Donaghu, Nike’s director of global footwear innovation. “It’s like we’removing fromfootwear to fifirmwear.”

The shoes, with their data-tracking capability, present customers with a choice about privacy — if they opt not to share their data, they’ll miss out on a lot of the product’s capabilities. The company is starting with basketball shoes, which will sell for $350.

Theshoeself-tightens toan athlete’s preference — there are no laces — and is adjustable via an app. The products carry sensors, accelerometers andgyroscopes that cangiveNike a full, personalized snapshot of its owner’s performance. They’ll need recharging every twoweeks.

“It’s like having twosmart- phones strapped to yourtwo feet,” said Michael Martin, Nike’s global head of digital products.

CEO Mark Parker discussed the new shoes in vague terms in December, calling it a “major step” in taking Nike’s new digital

emphasis and embedding it into actual product.

Nike stores are also going digital. The company calls new flagship locations unveiled two months ago in New York and Shanghai “Houses of Innovation .” They blend online shoppingwith the in-person experience. To get the full experience, you essentially have to download the Nike app.

Nike is in the midst of a digital transformation. A large part of that is trying to get more of its customers to become members of the NikePlus loyalty program. The company has foundmembers spend three times more than non members when they shop at Nike. com.

Though Nike has seen rapid growth in apparel sales, shoes still accounted for 61 percent of the company’s $36.4 billion in revenue last fifiscal year.

Nike auto-lacing shoes have been around since 2017, when the company solda limitednumber of lowtop sneakers for $720, the most expensive shoes it ever released. These shoes will be available through Nike’s direct channels, andthrough retailers, and debuted in

the NBA on the feet of Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum last Wednesday.

The shoe’s technology is can be updated through the app, meaning its capabilities can change after it’s purchased. The Beaver ton, Oregon- based company plans to release more productswith theAdapt technology, including running shoes, sportswear and lifestyle items.

“The advantages we’re looking to provide the athlete are so substantial that you’ll see a mass of people wanting tomakeuseof those benefifits,” Martin said.