Nike has always been about innovation. From pouring rubber into waffle irons to auto-lacing sneakers, the Swoosh is constantly experimenting with new technology. This week, they’ve unveiled their first bionic running enhancement, Project Amplify.
This week, Nike has unveiled a string of new advancements in technology, under the Nike Sports Offense division. The series of new announcements was highlighted by a change in the way brands under the Nike umbrella innovate, joining the Innovation, Design, and Product branches of Nike, Jordan, and Converse into one singular entity, with the goal of accelerating their innovations with a focus on performance and athletes.
Four all-new products and ideas in footwear and apparel were unveiled by the Swoosh today. The apparel side focused on airflow, and heating/cooling technologies. These were shown in a new AeroFit performance wear line, which will include jerseys and bottoms for athletes, as well as Therma-Fit AIR. The latter is an inflatable technology that allows the user to regulate their temperature without adding or removing layers of clothing.
The flagship advancement introduced this morning was on the footwear side of the business, dubbed Project Amplify. The new technology is Nike’s first publicly unveiled step into Robotics, for which they have teamed up with robotics lab Dephy to create a bionic technology to amplify runners’ capabilities. The new gear is aimed at reducing strain on athletes through a “wearable second set of calves”. Project Amplify is comprised of a battery pack strap worn around the upper calf, a robotic arm, and a carbon fiber plate running shoe, which can be worn without the enhancing external pieces. Amplify was designed not for performance athletes, but for everyday users who might need an extra boost. The wearable tech reportedly can turn a 12-minute mile pace into 10 minutes, and makes uphill walking require the same amount of energy as flat ground.
Nike has been clear that the new Project Amplify system is still in the early testing phase. The clean versions seen here are simply the latest, most wearable version of the new technology, and the Amplify line will not make its way to consumers for several years. However, their emphasis on who this technology is for reminds us of their marketing of Adapt technology towards disabled persons. The always-admirable approach to creating athletic wear for anyone and everyone has been a key tenant of the Swoosh since its inception.
If you have a body, you are an athlete.
