text: Nike just announced a self-lacing shoe called the HyperAdapt 1.0, bringing to life the dream that sneaker fans have shared since Back to the Future II premiered almost 30 years ago. 
   
   When you step into the HyperAdapt 1.0 your heel hits a sensor that automatically tightens the laces, according to the Nike website. Wearers can adjust the tightness of the fit with buttons on either side of the shoe. 
   
   Nike did make real-life versions of the self-lacing Air Mag sneakers from Back to the Future, and the company spent years teasing the public about them, but the company never intended them for the mass market. Late last year Nike gave a pair to Michael J. Fox, and even announced plans to sell them in extremely limited quantities, but that seemed to be the end of it all. 
   
   Now we have the HyperAdapt 1.0, which shares the same tech that Nike used in those commemorative Air Mags, but comes in a much more consumer-ready form factor. It will actually be sold to regular customers this year, though you'll only be able to buy a pair if you're a member of the company's fitness portal, Nike+. They will be available during the holiday season in three colors, according to Nike. 
   
   While the adaptive laces on the HyperAdapt 1.0 can be manually controlled, Nike is hinting that much more automatic versions of the technology could be seen in the future. Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield says in a statement that sneaker could eventually sense when you need a tighter or looser fit and adjust on the fly. "That’s where we’re headed," he says. 
   
   This is what Back to the Future got right about 2015 ||||| The world got its first glimpse of the Nike Air Mag in 1989, when Marty McFly sported a pair in Back to the Future. In the intervening 27 years, there’s been plenty of speculation about when (and if) science fiction would ever become fact. Then, last fall, Nike casually dropped a bomb: Yes, power-lacing shoes were possible. In fact, not only were they possible, they were actually going to be something you and I could buy sometime in the near future. 
   
   It appears that the future is suddenly the present, because today Nike announced that its first pair of self-lacing shoes will be hitting stores later this year (price to be determined). The shoes are called HyperAdapt 1.0, and they're a pleasantly elegant reimagining of McFly's flashy high tops. 
   
   John Hoke, Nike's vice president of design, explains that the shoe doesn't use a traditional lacing system, but rather a battery-powered series of pulleys that cinch the throat of the shoe. When the wearer steps inside the shoe, sensors at the bottom register his or her weight and the position of the foot inside. "It reads if you're heavy on your heel or heavy on your forefoot," Hoke says. 
   
   Once the sensors get a read on your foot position, a series of tiny pulleys will contract the throat of the shoe tightly around the foot by winding thread around a spool. "Imagine a fishing rod," Hoke says. The wearer can adjust the tightness by pushing on a plus or minus sign on the left side of the shoe. Hold it down for two seconds, and the shoe will loosen fully, allowing increased blood flow and removal. Eventually, Nike says it wants to make the micro-adjustments automated and reactive to biometric data, so they adjust on the fly. 
   
   Hoke says that, after a couple of wears, the shoe will automatically adjust to your preferred setting, much like a car seat that knows how close you like to sit to the wheel. As the "1.0" designation suggests, the team is already looking to how this technology can improve and adapt to create a hyper-personalized platform. He wouldn't give much away, but Hoke did say that, eventually, you could imagine how your shoe might gather biometric data that can be fed into an entire adaptable, reactive ecosystem of Nike wearables. And by wearables we mean clothes. 
   
   It's a compelling vision for sure, but as with all technology there are potential tradeoffs. Traditional laces are reliable—you'll never have to worry about them running out of juice or malfunctioning during a pivotal moment. Any time a shoe's functionality is tied directly to technology, there's going to be a risk factor. 
   
   Nike says the shoes operate on a battery that will last for two weeks on a single charge. That's the other catch. Yes, you're gonna have to charge your shoes, just like you charge your phone and FitBit. But come on. It's a small price to pay to wear a piece of the future, is it not?
target: – The future is now, people! Ever since Marty McFly donned self-lacing shoes in Back to the Future, people have been dreaming about sporting a pair of their own—because, you know, tying laces sucks. Nike has finally brought the dream to life, reports the Verge. The company has announced a power-laced shoe called the HyperAdapt 1.0, which uses a sensor in the sole to read your foot position, then automatically tightens with a series of battery-operated pulleys, per Wired. You can adjust the fit with buttons on the sides of the shoes, which will learn your preferred setting after a few wears. But that's just the beginning. Nike shoe designer Tinker Hatfield suggests a more automatic version of the shoe that uses biometric data to sense the perfect fit could be on the way. "Wouldn't it be great if a shoe, in the future, could sense when you needed to have it tighter or looser? Could it take you even tighter than you'd normally go if it senses you really need extra snugness in a quick maneuver? That's where we're headed," he says on Nike.com. The yet-to-be-priced shoes will be available in three colors around the holidays, but only for Nike+ members. The downside? You'll have to charge them every two weeks.