Nike
In 2019, Nike moved closer than ever to its dreams of popularizing self-lacing sneakers by releasing the Adapt BB. Using Bluetooth, the sneakers are connected to the Adapt app, which allows users to do things like tighten or loosen shoe laces and control LED lights. However, Nike has announced that it is “retiring” the app on August 6, when it will no longer be downloadable from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store; nor will it be updated.
In a message recently spotted by The Verge, Nike’s brief explanation for discontinuing the app is that Nike is “no longer creating new versions of Adapt shoes.” The company started informing owners about the app’s withdrawal about four months ago.
Those who have already purchased the shoes can still use the app after August 6, but it is expected that iOS or Android updates will eventually render the app unusable. Also, those who get a new device will not be able to download Adapt after August 6th.
Without the app, users can’t change the color of the sneaker’s LED lights. The lights will either support the last color scheme selected through the app or, according to Nike, “if you haven’t installed the app, the light will be the default color.” While owners will still be able to use the shoe’s buttons to turn the shoes on or off, check the battery, adjust the lacing tightness and save fit settings, the ability to change the lighting and control the shoes via mobile phone were big benefits of $350 hits.
Although the Adapt BB is Nike’s third version of a self-lacing sneaker and its most widespread to date, the sneaker seems destined to shed some of its most sought-after features. Nike still supports other mobile apps that are directly related to the functionality of the shoes, such as the shopping app and the Run Club app for tracking runs.
Disappointed sneakers
Adapt BB owners shared their disappointment after learning the news. One Reddit user, who claims to own several pairs of the shoes, called the news “hyper bullshit,” while another described it as “extremely disappointing.”
Some hope that Nike will open source the app so that customers can maintain the original and full functionality of their shoes. But Nike hasn’t shared any plans for that. Ars Technica asked the company about it, but did not receive a response by press time.
One person going by Maverick-1776 on Reddit wrote:
These shoes were so expensive when they came out. I don’t see why it’s such a big deal to keep supporting the app. That doesn’t mean they have to separate a development team. …
Hopefully the app won’t disappear if you already have it installed. I like using the app to see how much battery is left or just messing around with the LEDs.”
Reddit’s Taizan said companies like Nike should “offer alternatives or put things out into the public domain when they do these things,” adding, “Sustainability also includes supporting past products, digital or not.”
“I’m out. Fuck them.
Some may not be surprised that Nike’s attempt to commercialize shoes from Back to the Future Part II has hit a wall. Nike, for example, also ended NikeConnect, its $200 NBA jersey app announced in 2017 that turned users into marketing gold.
Casual sneaker wearers would overlook the Adapt BB’s flashy features, but the shoe had inherent flaws that could frustrate sneaker fanatics as well. It didn’t take long, for example, for a recommended software update to break the shoes, including making them unwearable by anyone trying to tighten the laces (Nike said at the time that the problem affected a small number of owners). Nike’s technological inexperience played a role, as the company’s tests reportedly didn’t take into account all the different phone models in use and their different Bluetooth capabilities.
Nike’s borked shoe update was an early warning of what happens when expensive products are tied to technology run by companies with limited technological capabilities.
Reddit user rtuite81 called Adapt’s sunset “totally expected, but disappointing.” They added:
I knew this day would come… I just didn’t think it would be this soon LOL. I’ve only had them for a little over a year and have worn them about 15 times. Hopefully my current phone lasts over the shoes.
This year, we’ve reported on clients of multiple companies—including Amazon, Oral-B, and Spotify—who have disappointed early adopters of their ambitious tech projects.
As we’re seeing right now with AI, corporations are eager to push the technology into products that don’t necessarily need it to stand out and make money. But that makes customers unwitting test subjects for products that inevitably fail. And as customers like Reddit’s henkmanz get frustrated, they lose faith in such modern products:
I’m done with app-supported products now. If you can’t trust a billion dollar company like Nike to continue supporting sneakers, how can you trust a toaster machine [or] car manufacturer? I’m outside. Fuck them.
