The Adidas 1 was a running shoe made by German multinational corporation Adidas, introduced in early 2005. It was the second general consumer sneaker to incorporate a computer,[1] after the Adidas 'Micropacer' in 1984.[2] The shoe was later discontinued and later followed by the Adidas_1 basketball shoe, introduced in 2006.[3]
Overview
Requiring three years of development prior to release, the shoe adjusted itself after four strikes stride, using a motor in the middle of the sole. The motor turned a screw, which in turn lengthened or shortens a cable, changing the compression characteristics of the heel pad.
The shoe retailed for $250 in the U.S. at launch. The changes were guided by a sensor in the heel, which determined how much the heel was compressed on each stride. The shoe was battery-powered, and lasted for approximately 100 hours of running.[4]
On 25 November 2005, Adidas released a new version of the Adidas 1. There was an increased range of cushioning and a new motor with 153% more torque in the IL 1.1 upgrade.
See also
- Hello Tomorrow, television commercial for this shoe
References
- Adidas Launches the Intelligent Running Shoe on New Atlas, 4 Jun 2004^
- Adidas to Rerelease First 'Computer' Running Shoe by Scott Douglas on Runners World, Jul 22, 2014^
- Russ Bengston. A Brief History of Smart Sneakers Complex, retrieved 15 January 2015^
- Frank Bajak. Computerized sneakers make for a cushy run Associated Press, 2005-04-26, retrieved 2023-10-24^