Oh -- Do The Hoverboard Next!: Nike Patents Auto-Lacing Back To The Future II Shoes
Hoho, looks like this person already beat you to it, Nike. You're too slow on the draw. Also, the kick. Foot joke! Uh-oh, here comes another:
Middle Toe: Where the hell have you been? We've been worried sick!
Big Toe: At the market, dummy. Oooooh -- is that roast beef?!
Patent filings which occurred in early through late 2009 show off an automatic lacing system that is pretty reminiscent of Marty McFly's invention in Back to the Future, and we can tell you that from the looks of it, it's a future we'd definitely like to inhabit. The shoes appear to boast a charging system and lights in addition to the lacing component, and while so few patent apps ever lead to a real retail product, we're really rooting for this one.
Listen, I'm just as excited about the future as the next guy building an apocalyptic-bunker in his backyard, but do we really need auto-lacing shoes? I mean, you're still gonna have to put them on by hand. Just sayin', auto-lacing Nike's are about as advanced as Velcro (but infinitely more likely to break, be manufactured in a sweatshop, and cost over $150). Air GW's FTW! Damn yeah the soles leave marks on everything!
Another shot after the jump, in case you're into patent diagrams.
Nike files patent for auto-lacing sneakers, Marty McFly doth protest [engadget]
Thanks to Spoon, MaCM777, Alex and trashcanman, who don't need auto-lacing shoes because they have a little thing they like to call bare feet. Okay now that's just unsanitary. That's it -- what sizes are you, I'm getting you all flip-flips.
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