I C O N YOU CAN TWEAK THE FIT THROUGH NIKE’S APP OR VIA THE BUTTONS ON THE MIDSOLE
NIKE AIR JORDAN XI ADAPT $500 / nike.com
Nice sneaks. Hold on, no laces? No requirement here, because while Nike has used its Adapt auto-lacing technology on a number of trainers now, this is the first time it’s found its way onto a pair of Air Jordans. With this updated version of the classic Jordan XI basketball shoe, the wearer can now electronically engage wires to tweak the fit through Nike’s Adapt app or by pressing buttons on the
midsole… although you might want to wait until half-time, or the end of a quarter, or a time out, or that bit when blokes on trampolines come out, to avoid any unfortunate mid-game madness. Surely the Air Jordan purists are hating on this? When did you start sounding all American? Nike says the wonderfully named Tinker Hatfield, who designed the original Jordan
XI, showed in his initial 1995 sketches that he wanted the sneaker to be laceless from the very beginning – but even so, it’s fair to say these have divided opinion. This is not the first pair of Nike basketball shoes to get the tie-by-wire (thanks) treatment either. You may remember the Adapt BB that graced the pages of Stuff this time last year – you can currently nab a pair of Adapt BB 2.0s for £300.
So why are these so much pricier? These, the first ever self-lacing Air Jordans, have been created to celebrate the original shoe’s 25th anniversary, while the Adapt app gets a ‘Jordan-flavoured’ interface plus the ability to set several preset fits (in case you plan on changing feet), customise the lights in the midsole, and check power levels. They go on sale through Nike’s SNKRS app and storefront on 30 December.
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