Dive Brief:
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Nike claims to have had exuberant response from professional athletes about its self-lacing HyperAdapt shoe, and said that “most or all” of the consumers who were fortunate enough to land one of a limited number of reservations to try the shoe in stores went on to purchase a pair, according to a report at SI.com.
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Serena Williams, Kyrie Irving, Odell Beckham, Jr., Cristiano Ronaldo and Elena Della Donne are among the professional athletes that have tried the shoe, the sports apparel giant said.
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Nike also said second and third generations of the HyperAdapt shoe already are in the works, and that advancements in manufacturing could get future models to market more quickly, and potentially at a lower cost than the current $720 price tag.
Dive Insight:
The most out-of-this-world aspect of the HyperAdapt may not its self-lacing technology — which to be fair, was first showcased by amateur skateboarder Marty McFly more than 30 years ago — but its lofty price of $720 per pair.
Nike initially rolled out the HyperAdapt on Cyber Monday, and now says “most or all” of the non-superstar athlete folks who have tried the HyperAdapt since then have bought a pair. We don’t know how many were made and released to the public, but in any case Nike says appointment times to try the shoes at one of the four store locations offering them (New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco) have filled up.
That’s just as well for most of us, because right now, at the current price and apparently very limited availability, the HyperAdapt doesn’t seem like a shoe for anyone with an average income. Still, Nike is doing some crafty marketing here, teasing future affordability and availability, leaving a trail of bread crumbs leading to future generations of the shoe.
At some point it will be interesting to see what regular consumers (or at least those without hefty disposable incomes) have to say about the HyperAdapt, and whether or not the self-lacing capability has anything more than show-off value. A lot of pro athletes are backing the HyperAdapt, but as Under Armour’s experience with its latest Steph Curry shoe reminds us, you may need more than big names behind you to keep the social media trolls off your back.
