The Nike Adapt Huarache is doing double-duty.
After recently announcing the first widespread release of the Flyease fastening system, Nike has followed that up with the next stage in its evolution of traditional laces with the Adapt Huarache. The new sneaker will be Nike’s first FitAdapt product with the ability to be voice-activated by Apple electronics—all while bringing the classic Huarache silhouette “into the future.”
Nike has been in the self-lacing game since Marty McFly stepped into the fictional Nike Mag in the 1985 blockbuster, Back to the Future. These days, the Nike Mag is a real product (and sells for more than $20,000 on the resale market) and the sportswear brand has even released a much more reasonably priced basketball sneaker with self-lacing and fitting capabilities, the Nike Adapt BB.
The new Adapt Huarache silhouette, however, is more than just a rehash of those innovations. Its features represent Nike’s vision of the future when it comes to its FitAdapt footwear.
“The latest iteration of FitAdapt allows for a wider array of personal preferences amid various environments and situations—a key revolution given the multi-purpose nature of contemporary lifestyle footwear,” the brand said in a statement.
To start, the Huarache silhouette is decidedly retro, being first released in 1991. However, the infusion of technology—including the two glowing lights at the base of the midsole—marks a departure from the simplistic aesthetics of the Adapt BB.
Nike chose the silhouette due to its legacy of introducing a “radical new approach to containing the foot” in the early ’90s thanks to its neoprene bootie and the “exoskeletal upper.” Combined, these features provided an innovative alternative to the lacing system, reminiscent of today’s sock-like knitted uppers.
But its the shoe’s ability to be activated by both Siri and the Apple Watch, that will mark the Adapt Huarache’s legacy.
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“The technology, which is run from a midfoot motor, is controlled by a multi-faceted Nike Adapt app,” Nike’s statement explained. “With the app, wearers of the Nike Adapt Huarache are greeted by a universal login (consistent for all Nike FitAdapt product—current and future), a themed interface specific to the Huarache and a number of preset fit recommendations for foot type and activity.”
By introducing Apple shortcuts into the sneaker’s design, Nike hopes to remove as much friction as possible from the FitAdapt process, bringing the technology ever closer to widespread acceptance.
The Huarache Adapt will be available starting Sept. 13 on Nike’s SNKRS app and at select retail partners.