Nike Is Trying To Sell You ‘mind-body’ Shoes

Nike’s caller “neuroscience-based footwear” is designed to activate an athlete’s encephalon earlier and aft a large game. The two shoes, a mule (the $95 Mind 001) and a lace-up sneaker (the $145 Mind 002), characteristic a unique array of 22 orangish foam nodes embedded successful each sole. Nike says nan nodes each move up and down independently, for illustration “pistons and gimbals,” arsenic nan jock walks, mimicking nan emotion of stepping connected nan crushed successful a measurement that is “scientifically shown” to stimulate nan ft and frankincense activate nan brain’s sensory areas.

Nike hasn’t released nan technological grounds that it says shows really nan Mind 001 and 002 do thief an jock focus. But Nike spokesperson Jay Paavonpera told The Verge that a achromatic insubstantial connected nan exertion is coming retired successful “a mates weeks.” He said that nan shoes’ designs are based connected “hundreds of athletes and thousands of hours of testing.” 

The section that developed nan node design, nan Mind Science squad wrong nan Nike Sport Research Lab, did truthful by “leveraging 1 of very fewer mobile encephalon and assemblage imaging labs successful nan world,” the institution says. Each node was placed conscionable acold capable isolated from nan others truthful that nan wearer could comprehend each arsenic separate, according to Mind Science’s main investigator, Graeme Moffat. This is nan logic why nodes are farther isolated successful nan bottommost and person together nether nan shot of nan foot. “Nike Mind is simply a caller sensory-footwear conception that helps reawaken nan foot, nan assemblage and nan mind,” says Nike vice president of invention and imaginative head Eric Avar.

While galore of Nike’s shoes attraction connected cushioning, complete nan years, it’s responded to title from minimalist-style shoes for illustration nan Vibram FiveFingers and Crocs pinch products for illustration its Nike Free shoes. 

The mule Mind 001, offered successful grey and red, and nan sneaker Mind 002, offered only successful gray, are some options branded arsenic “pregame” shoes connected nan Nike Mind website. Both will beryllium disposable successful January 2026.