Adidas Puts Computer On New Footing:
Hoping the new Adidas 1 will be to the sneaker industry what Apple's iPod has been to digital music, Adidas will put on sale March 18 what it bills as the world's first computerized "smart shoe."
The 'Addidas 1' uses a Sensor,a microprocessor and amotorized cable system.
The Adidas 1 uses a sensor, a microprocessor and a motorized cable system to automatically adjust the shoes' cushioning. The sensor under the heel measures compression and decides whether the shoe is too soft or firm. That information is sent to the microprocessor and, while the shoe is in the air, the cable adjusts the heel cushion. The whole system weighs less than 40 grams.
Batteriesare included:
replaceable lithium batteries estimated to be good for 100 hours of running. Users can turn the shoe's brain off — when it's off, they're regular sneakers — to save battery life. The chip also shuts itself off, keeping the same cushioning, if a runner walks more than 10 minutes.
The top-end running shoe from New Balance lists for $545.99. With runners typically replacing shoes by 500 miles, the $250 Adidas could push costs to 50 cents per mile, though the company says Adidas 1 cushioning will outlast traditional shoes. A retail expert says that's beside the point. "Yes, there will be price resistance. But there will be plenty of people who have to be the first on the block to have them," predicts Marshal Cohen, chief analyst for NPD Group.Bob McGee, editor of Sporting Goods Intelligence, says the "retro" shoe trend is waning and performance sales are heating up, allowing higher prices: "People are going back to running shoes and basketball shoes."
