If you’ve ever imagined what an e-bike for runners would look like, Nike is already a stride ahead. This week, the Oregon-based sportswear giant unveiled its latest innovation, an electrically powered running and walking shoe designed to give wearers an “unparalleled boost.”
Nike’s Project Amplify is billed as the world’s first powered exoskeleton footwear system. The brand says it was designed to help everyday athletes move a little faster and farther…all with less effort. And just when you thought the world couldn’t get any lazier, Nike said, “bet.”
For those of us wondering how this is even possible, Nike says the shoe is engineered to boost natural lower leg and ankle movement using motion-based algorithms. It features a lightweight motor, a drive belt and a rechargeable cuff battery that all seamlessly integrate into a carbon-plated running shoe. Consumers also have the choice to wear it with or without the robotic assist.
The vision behind Project Amplify, according to Nike, is to make it easier for everyday athletes to run or walk longer and more often with less strain. But if you’re reading this, thinking it might help you finally qualify for Boston, not so fast. Project Amplify is specifically tuned for slower-paced runners between a six and eight minutes per kilometre (10–12 min/mile) range, making it easier if subtle running or walking is your main goal, not your local Strava CR.
In a press release, Michael Donaghu, Nike’s vice president of emerging sport and innovation, said the project was born from “dreaming big while keeping athletes at the center.”
“At its core, Project Amplify is about seamlessly adding a little more power to your stride,” Donaghu said. “The fun comes from realizing you can do more than you thought you could, whatever ‘more’ means to you.”
Like e-bikes have revolutionized urban commuting by making cycling easier, Nike’s Project Amplify aims to do the same for slower running and walking. When the first generation of this product is released, it won’t be for competitive runners chasing records. Instead, it’ll be meant for everday athletes who want to go farther and faster with less effort, a “second set of calf muscles,” as Nike puts it.
Still in testing, Nike says it plans to launch Project Amplify to the public in the coming years. And as for who it’s for? The company says its target market is simple: “anyone with a body.”
