Nike has unveiled Project Amplify, an electrified shoe system for both running and walking. The world's first powered footwear system for the average user, not just elite athletes, features an ankle support system that assists the user's stride in real time, increasing speed and efficiency.
Project Amplify features a lightweight robotic structure comprised of a motor, drive belt, and rechargeable battery cuff. Combining this with a carbon fiber plate running shoe, the robotic system is designed to be detachable. Based on motion algorithms developed by the Nike Sports Research Lab (NSRL), it amplifies the natural movements of the lower body and ankles, creating the sensation of walking on flat ground even when climbing hills.
Nike developed this project in collaboration with the American robotics company Dephy. Over several years of testing, over 400 subjects walked over 2.4 million steps, validating over nine hardware versions. Participants reported that their pace was shortened from a 12-minute pace to a 10-minute pace, and that the shoe felt "natural, like a part of my foot.".
Nike emphasized that this product is designed for users who enjoy walking to work or light jogging, not professional runners aiming for faster times. Just as e-bikes transformed urban mobility, the Amplify aims to make everyday walking and running easier and more enjoyable by adding a "second calf muscle.".
‘Our role is to turn imagination into reality,’ said Michael Donohue, Nike’s vice president of “Create the Future.” “Project Amplify is an experiment to add a little extra momentum to your step, so everyone can go a little farther, a little faster.”.
Project Amplify is currently in the testing phase, and Nike plans to combine artistic sensibilities with scientific technology to bring it to the general public in the coming years. This announcement is one of four key technological innovations Nike unveiled this month, representing the brand's future direction in innovation alongside Air apparel, cooling technology, and neuroscience-based footwear.
