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MovieClips/YouTube

This Back to The Future item is now officially a real product*

*No, it’s not the hoverboard. We can only hope that will arrive soon.

IT MAY HAVE been a few months late before Back to the Future II was celebrated but another piece of kit from the movie has been made a reality. Chances are you remember the self-lacing shoes Marty McFly uses as a way to fit in with the era. A limited number of the shoes were released as a collectors item to celebrate the movie’s 25th anniversary, but they’re pretty expensive.

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Now they’re a reality as Nike announced HyperAdapt 1.0, the first pair of runners with ‘power-lacing’.

Nike Innovations AP Photo / Mary Altaffer AP Photo / Mary Altaffer / Mary Altaffer

When you put your foot in one, the heel will hit a sensor and the shoe will automatically tighten. If that isn’t enough, there are two buttons on the side which allow you to tighten and loosen them until they’re perfect. The runners do come with flickering lights on the side and back though so if you’re looking for something that isn’t so flashy, you may have to wait a bit longer.

Nike / YouTube

The runner is the result of years of work within Nike to bring adaptive lacing to a product. It started off with a snowboard foot featuring an external generator a few years ago developing the prototype further. The runners are aimed at those who are regularly active and its availability will be limited to those who are signed up to Nike+, the company’s activity tracking and fitness service. It will be launched in time for Christmas at the end of the year. Still, at least we’re a step close to making this a reality, right?

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Read: Your slow internet is likely stressing you out >

Read: The next batch of local websites are going to be a little bit more Irish >

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Author
Quinton O'Reilly
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