Nike wants to make slow runners faster. Your solution: powered sneakers

Nike has sneakers that you can put on without touching with your hands and even some that they tie themselves. The brand has just crossed a new frontier: that of motorized footwear that helps you walk and run faster. With a design reminiscent of an exoskeleton, Nike compares it to the operation of the electric bicycle.

Project Amplify. This is how they have named this footwear system, which is currently in the testing phase. For its creation, Nike has partnered with the robotics company Dephy. It consists of a shoe and an ankle brace with a motor and rechargeable battery that transmits energy through a transmission belt. The shoe can be worn alone or with the ankle brace.

Booster. What Project Amplify does is “increase the natural movement of the lower leg and ankle”, that is, it gives us a boost to be able to walk or run faster and for longer with the same effort. According to Nike, it is a system similar to that of electric bicycles whose motor assists us in pedaling and helps reduce the energy demand of the muscles. Nike says it’s like having “a second set of calf muscles.”

Hacking speed. Nike has invested heavily in research and development to design footwear that drives athletic performance. Its previous innovations have focused on combining cutting-edge designs and advanced materials that offer a “rebound” or propulsion effect. An example is Vaporfly technology, which proved to be a determining factor in achieving records in major marathons. This is the case of the controversial record of Eliud Kipchoge, who ran a marathon under two hours.

There is also the case of the Nike Super Spikes that were worn by several athletes during the Tokyo Olympics. The impact was undeniable: Up to three athletes broke the record in the 400 meter hurdles. Examples like this highlight the importance of footwear and opened the debate about the limits of technology in sports. Even It has come to be described as “mechanical doping”.

For the slow ones. At the moment we will not see “motorized” athletes in the Olympics. Nike makes it clear that it is not a system designed for high-level athletes, but for amateurs. running with a rather low pace who want to go faster with less effort. We are talking about runners with a pace greater than 6 or 7 minutes per kilometer. Another use scenario for these motorized shoes is to be able to make urban trips more quickly, for example to go to work on foot.

Images | Nike

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