hearing about shoes that need an app makes me want to stab myself in the testicle.
Nike’s self-lacing Adapt BB sneakers are losing their remote control mobile app
Submitted 4 months ago by Renn@sh.itjust.works to technology@lemmy.world
https://www.theverge.com/2024/7/4/24192184/nike-adapt-bb-shoes-sneakers-apple-android-app
Comments
kusivittula@sopuli.xyz 4 months ago
Stern@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Open source the app?
No. Never. That would be literally impossible.
helenslunch@feddit.nl 4 months ago
It’s not entirely surprising when a company chooses to stop paying for the upkeep and continued development of an app for a product it’s no longer making money on
How much fucking upkeep can an app require to operate a pair of shoes?
simplejack@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Inevitably what happens after 5 years is that someone reports that the app doesn’t work well with a newer version of iOS or Android, and the person that led the engineering on it is gone, because much of your engineering org has turned over after 5 years.
Then a new person jumps into the old project, finds out that it’s had 1 active user last year, then they question why they have to spend a week bug fixing something for one end user.
Knossos@lemmy.world 4 months ago
As a developer, this is the answer. I can’t wait for the day I can finally stop supporting old Amazon Kindle devices.
Jumi@lemmy.world 4 months ago
You’re questioning the sanity of people who even develop shoes that need an app
helenslunch@feddit.nl 4 months ago
I’m not questioning sanity, I’m questioning why an app that does nothing but send commands over Bluetooth or whatever needs any maintenance whatsoever.
DarkThoughts@fedia.io 4 months ago
TIL about self-lacing shoes... What a waste of fucking resources. Might as well add some flashing red lights at the back of the soles if you already have batteries in them.
naeap@sopuli.xyz 4 months ago
Lights in shoes that blink at each step were all the hype in my childhood
thejml@lemm.ee 4 months ago
Hey, my daughter wore shoes like that—- dang I’m old. :(
hesusingthespiritbomb@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Honestly if they got the cost down and figured out a better interaction mechanism than an app, I could see it being useful for older or disabled individuals.
For example, imagine someone is 55. They are still with it, and decently active for this age. However they have arthritis in their hands that makes tasks that require dexterity mildly uncomfortable. These kinds of shoes would be a pretty big boon for them in terms of staying active.
The issue is that they tried to make it some cool fashion accessory for Gen Z sneaker heads to buy.
DarkThoughts@fedia.io 4 months ago
They have buttons on the shoes too. Still, having a battery for something like this is just wasteful and pointless. People with disabilities have already several unpowered alternatives that work perfectly fine and as mentioned, those things are clearly not designed for that purpose in mind anyway.
Shimitar@feddit.it 4 months ago
Man, at 55 I will be still running ironman’s… Hopefully. And trails. Let’s keep arthritis for the 70’s, shall we?
DudeDudenson@lemmings.world 4 months ago
Dude never heard of slipons or Velcro
Lumisal@lemmy.world 4 months ago
You could also just, idk, by Velcro shoes or get lock laces
Imgonnatrythis@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
Just today? You need to carve out some time and watch back to the future trilogy my guy. You won’t regret it.
DarkThoughts@fedia.io 4 months ago
I already know the movies from when I was a kid.
riodoro1@lemmy.world 4 months ago
People who bought these are fucking idiots and they deserve much worse then their stupid fucking smart shoes turning into abandonware.
Maybe we wouldn’t have so much shit in landfills if those idiots didn’t gobble up any piece of trash someone wants to sell them.
Cornpop@lemmy.world 4 months ago
I could see handicapped people being interested in these. Fuck then I guess right.
riodoro1@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Sure. We totally didn’t have footwear that did not require lacing. Thank god for the tech bro solution.
Btw, you really think their app was accessible to handicapped people?
hagelslager@feddit.nl 4 months ago
Why choose these over elastic fabric slip-on shoes?
helenslunch@feddit.nl 4 months ago
Because these are the only shoes that could help handicapped people?
hal_5700X@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
We are going to far with technology. If you need an app for your shoes.
prex@aussie.zone 4 months ago
Has Anyone Really Been Far Even as Decided to Use Even Go Want to do Look More Like?
Buffalox@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Not in these shoes.
KairuByte@lemmy.dbzer0.com 4 months ago
Are you having a stroke, or am I missing a reference?
EnderWiggin@lemmy.world 4 months ago
I’d agree, but these are probably good for people with certain disabilities.
DaPorkchop_@lemmy.ml 4 months ago
Those people could just as easily buy slip-ons, which serve the same purpose while not requiring an app (or any other form of electronics, for that matter).
BruceTwarzen@lemm.ee 4 months ago
There are shoes that you don’t need tho tie that don’t need an app and most importantly are not from nike.
bjoern_tantau@swg-empire.de 4 months ago
Someone should make stopkillingshoes.com.
dinckelman@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Allowing these companies to ever sell anything with the “cloud” marketing was a colossal mistake. Not only it was a waste of people’s money, but now also e-waste
Tikiporch@lemmy.world 4 months ago
In a world where I can slip my shoes on and off without untying them, why would I need shoes that can self-tie?
Olhonestjim@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Sounds like a job for Flipper Zero.
pandapoo@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
Unnecessary and possibly overly complicated for an MCU.
This probably just requires some good old reverse engineering the original apps bluetooth API and an app to connect to the shoes.
If they’re really lucky, it’s simple unencrypted packets they can just capture via Wireshark, but I really haven’t looked into it any further than this article summary, so I could be wrong.
autotldr@lemmings.world [bot] 4 months ago
This is the best summary I could come up with:
Despite the ongoing popularity of the Back to the Future trilogy that inspired the self-lacing tech found in the HyperAdapt 1.0 and Air Mags, Nike has announced that it’s “no longer creating new versions of Adapt shoes.” Now, the Adapt BB mobile app used to control the $350 third iteration of Nike’s self-lacing sneakers will disappear from Google Play and the iPhone App Store next month.
Without the app, owners can use the physical buttons on the sneakers to power them on and off, check battery status, tighten or loosen the laces, and save a single preset, but there will be no way to adjust the shoe’s lighting.
The power laces on the Nike Adapt BB basketball shoes, which were worn by athletes like Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic, were adjustable using buttons on the sneakers themselves or over Bluetooth.
Nike’s decision to retire the app is another reminder of the challenges of designing smart apparel.
Most consumers might be used to the idea of upgrading a smartphone every few years, but an electronic pair of shoes or a smart denim jacket can remain in someone’s wardrobe for decades, long after a company stops selling the product.
It’s not entirely surprising when a company chooses to stop paying for the upkeep and continued development of an app for a product it’s no longer making money on, but that doesn’t take the sting out of losing functionality on your five-year-old kicks.
The original article contains 318 words, the summary contains 240 words. Saved 25%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
pandapoo@sh.itjust.works 4 months ago
To be fair, anyone who thought their life needed SaaS supported shoe laces, definitely had this coming.
In terms of cosmic corporate evildoers, Nike may not currently be a top ranked contender, but their definitely an old school hall of fame level player.
So I’m certainly not saying they were doing the world a favor by dropping cloud shoe lace support, I’m just saying that the situation is pretty funny.
BearOfaTime@lemm.ee 4 months ago
Hahahaha, suckers!
sylver_dragon@lemmy.world 4 months ago
If something requires an “app” and a connection to “the cloud” for basic functionality, don’t buy it. This sort of abandonment by the manufacturer will always happen. Maybe it will last longer. Maybe it will be next week. But once the company has your money, the last thing they want to do is to spend any of that money providing you with support.
dpkonofa@lemmy.world 4 months ago
The funny thing about this is that the first time I had that moment of realization was when I got the Sphero BB-8 toy from my kids for Christmas. It had a dedicated app. The reason it’s funny is because, out of all the things that I own, it’s the only app-driven one that still works. Sphero just merged it into their main app. Once that app stops getting updated, this toy will cease to work despite everything about it being functional. ☹️
webghost0101@sopuli.xyz 4 months ago
This is why i am for mandatory open sourcing of abandonware. So much stuff just laying wasted that could be hacked.
But allowing you to diy your own toys might make you consume less and thats bad or something.
Tikiporch@lemmy.world 4 months ago
As long as you can side load a functional apk to a supported Android device, it should work, no?
TachyonTele@lemm.ee 4 months ago
Would something like BlueStacks let the app run?
sylver_dragon@lemmy.world 4 months ago
That’s funny, I have the exact same toy. It was a Father’s day gift years ago. It’s now an expensive display piece, as the battery no longer seems to hold a charge. And, as best I can tell, the battery is well sealed inside, making replacement impossible. Yet another thing I hate about our disposable culture.
jdeath@lemm.ee 4 months ago
I’m laughing my ass off thinking about all the steps required to get these working if you bought them new. downloading an app and pairing your shoes to wifi or some shit. ha
if the internet goes down can you still put on your shoes?! lmao!
LeroyJenkins@lemmy.world 4 months ago
what if you like the feature and are okay with just using it while you can?
Norodix@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Its still stupid. No reason there is no embedded web interface. That is such an easy thing to do. Like routers have been doing for ages.
TheMinions@lemmy.world 4 months ago
Depends on the price imo