Nike Patents Shoes That Tie Themselves
"There's something very familiar about all this..."
The Back to the Future trilogy featured many cool things we all hoped to some day own for ourselves. Whether it was something as high-tech as hoverboards, or as simple as shoes that would lace themselves, there was plenty for us to dream about for the future.
Though hover-skateboards will probably take a bit longer, we may see those self-lacing shoes in time for 2015. Nike has filed for a patent for self-lacing shoes, complete with a charging station. Sure, not every patent filed means we can expect to see the product on the shelves, but we really hope Nike makes these shoes a reality. Who wouldn't want a pair of Marty McFlys?
Oh, and if you've ever felt the urge to mug the kid legging it around the supermarket with light up shoes, you'll be glad to know that the patent for these shoes also details lights on the sides of the soles, as well as a light up Nike logo on the tongue of the shoe.
Click through to Nice Kicks to see more pictures of the patent.
Source: Nice Kicks via Giz
- Ghosts 'n Goblins NES Cart On eBay for $5,000
- Your Next Game Console Could be By... Lenovo
- Sumo Wrestlers Find the iPad 'Finger-compatible'
- Apple Sends Invites for September Press Event
- Use Google Voice from Google Phone Booths
- Tomb-bot to Scope Out Pyramid Secrets
- The Future of Tattoos is Coming: Interactive Ones
- Best Buy Now Accepting Used Games Trade-ins
- Android App Developer: The OS is 'Hideous'
- Forget Farmville, Playboy is Making Poisonville
- Better Audio Coming to Xbox Live in November
- Gmail Users Make 1,000,000 Phone Calls in a Day
- Microsoft Investing Billions in Windows Phone 7
- Logitech Launches Creepy Ad for Google TV Box
- Google Files for Trademark On SpeedBook Active Computer Hardware
- Sony Wins Injunction Against PS3 Jailbreak USBs
- If Only the Graphics of Halo Could Look This Good
- The Printed Dictionary: An End of an Era?
- Google Details GPU Acceleration for Chrome 7
Time to make like a tree, and get me a pair.
Can they untie themselves too?
will they also explode like ipods and garmin GPS's?
Where is Micro$oft in all this? Is Bill Gates still crashing Windows Vi$ta?
Any risk of electrocution when wet?
Awesome! Now where's my hoverboard
I want a Delorean Time Machine!!!
I say we take all of these designers, engineers, and scientists involved in developing little trivialities like this, and lock them up in a lab until they make good on the flying cars we were promised.
I say we take all of these designers, engineers, and scientists involved in developing little trivialities like this, and lock them up in a lab until they make good on the flying cars we were promised.
Yep, because taking people out of their expertise would so help...
How does it work though?
If tying shoes is too difficult for you, just get velcro.
Seriously, electric shoes? Sigh...
Wow, those starving children in Malaysia sure have their work cut out for them.
Yep, because taking people out of their expertise would so help...
They Nike "scientists" will bring coffee to the real scientists; my God, do I have to think of everything!
ummmm? I thought that to patent something it had to be novel (i.e. new) the fact that they featured in the public domain through the film "Back to the Future II" means that prior art already exists. I would be very surprised to see this patent granted.
And even if it is, it is worthless in many nations like anywhere in Europe for example.
ummmm? I thought that to patent something it had to be novel (i.e. new) the fact that they featured in the public domain through the film "Back to the Future II" means that prior art already exists. I would be very surprised to see this patent granted. And even if it is, it is worthless in many nations like anywhere in Europe for example.
The fact is, it was a movie
Yes, they were Nike's, but the fact was, again, it was a movie. They used "movie magic" to make those shoes tie themselves. Just like the "communicator" is Star Trek. You think the creators of Star Trek went after the company to make the first cell phone? Yes, a little different, but it was actually a cell phone. But the the patent is for shoes that are pretty much EXACTLY what we saw in "Back to the Future: Part 2".
Hell, a lot of the things we take for granted today were in every episode of the Jetsons
... what!? first time i had seen this feature, it waz in 'back to the future'....
They should call these McFlys
poor children in Asia...
I wonder if the spam bot will carry these? Tom's, we need a spam nuke option.
Damn, how lazy would you need to be to get shoes that tie themselves, is velcro really that complected?
Back to the Future II !!!!!!
We'll never see these. The world is going to end in 2012, anyway.
I assume some sort of electronics are involved so does that mean I got to buy batteries for my shoes now? Also what happens in nice heavy rain storm; if they get wet or soaked will that short them out? Just some thoughts.
No problem reagrding novelty of the eventual Patent claim since the "back to the future" movie would likely not fulfill the test for anticipation, i.e. it must both disclose AND enable the claimed invention.
In this case, since it was movie magic that tied up the shoes, it most likely would not fulfill the "enable" part of the anticipation test. ET voila, NIKE should be able to secure a patent on that shoe.
Cheers.
Where's the hoverboard and the self-drying jacket? Come on Nike.
Air-Marty's
Can I hack into my buddy's shoes and remotely tie his laces together with my bluetooth enabled phone?
Woah! Power laces, alright.
Sign of the times.....
Wares my free energy aka cold fusion? I am sick paying $200+ a month power bill due to 40c+ heat.
With peizo-electric charging capabilities, you won't need the charging station. Each step you take will charge the shoes.
Good for fat people