Now Puma has self-lacing sneakers, too
The task we learned in kindergarten is apparently too dang hard.
Puma debuted its latest smartphone-connected self-lacing shoe called Fit Intelligence, or, "Fi," giving Nike's Adapt BB sneakers a run for their money. Puma released its first generation self-lacing shoes in 2016. But it says that the new Fi is powered by a "state of the art technology platform" that will allow your shoes to, uh, fit really well.
Fi will apparently power other smart footwear products. Smart laces are — *gazes off into the cosmos* — just the beginning.
The shoes work with a small motor in the tongue of the shoe. Wearers can adjust the fit using their smartphone or Apple Watch. And the laces apparently learn to adapt to the shape of your foot over time.
The shoes will be available to the public in 2020. But for now, Puma invites "tech savvy people" to sign up to beta test the product by downloading its Pumatec app, which you can do here, if you're into that sort of thing. Be warned: the app markets itself as a "bespoke workout app experience." Death to bespoke.
Nike got the jump on Puma by releasing its version of self-lacing sneakers earlier in January. Nike's laces reportedly adjust throughout the day to maintain a consistent fit, which seems pretty cool we guess. Then again, they don't come in women's sizes. And if a woman wanted to wear the men's shoe, the smallest size available would be a women's 8.5.
IDK guys, smart laces? Do we really need 'em? Of course, the answer is no. But that is so, so not the point.
