Apple is working on a brand new gadget straight out of your favorite childhood movie. In fact, the American company is filing a patent for shoe that ties its own laces. Does it look familiar to you?
It’s a gadget straight out of the iconic film Back to the Future II. Have we officially arrived in the future?
Apple goes Back to the Future
It may sound a bit like a joke, but Apple has actually been awarded this particular patent. The American company filed the application back in July 2019 and was actually granted the patent on January 11. The description states that the patent is intended for “Footwear having motorized adjustment system and elastic upper”. Freely translated, therefore, it is about a shoe that is capable of automatically shaping itself to the foot of its wearer.
The 2019 patent (Image: Apple)
The chances of Apple actually producing the product seem slim. The American company files an incredible number of patents each year and only converts a few of them into an actual product. But should the company go for it, there is a good chance that the shoes will sell like hot cakes. I mean, even an overpriced cleaning rag sells out in no time.
The 2016 Nike Mag
Apple, of course, is not the party that came up with this idea. The shoe comes directly from Back to the Future II where it was already worn by main character Marty McFly. In 2016, Nike also decided to produce the shoe already under the Nike Mag banner. The sneaker was marketed in limited editions and were mainly sold during auctions.
It’s cool to see that Apple is at least thinking about this kind of product. Although the company is not the first party to take it up. The original idea, of course, comes from Back to the Future II in which Martin McFly actually wears the shoes. But the shoes have also already been copied.
Back in 2016, Nike released self-tie sneakers under the name Nike Mag. The sneaker was marketed in limited editions and sold mainly at auctions. There, the shoes fetched between $54,000 and more than $100,000.
