The Future is Here: 10 Sneakers That Were Ahead of Their Time

The future is now.

1.

by Zac Dubasik

It took 26 years for the power lacing technology found in the Nike MAG to come to fruition, but that’s not the only futuristic shoe we’ve seen over the years. Brands have been attempting to merge technology with footwear, with varying degrees of success, for decades. In honor of self-lacing sneakers becoming a reality, we’re taking a look back at 10 other shoes that were ahead of their time.

adidas Micropacer

2.

adidas Micropacer (1984)

Year: 1984

Simply monitoring things like time and distance traveled may seem basic by modern standards – there are several apps that can do this for you very easily. But, in the '80s the adidas Micropacer was as high-tech as sneakers got when it came to fitness monitoring with its built-in chip.


PUMA RS Computer Shoe

4.

Puma RS Computer Shoe (1986)

Year: 1986

PUMA’s RS Computer Shoe took the pedometer-like data approach from the Micropacer and built on it by allowing wearers to download info logged by these shoes to the game port on the Apple 2 computer.


PUMA Disc Runner

6.

Puma Disc (1992)

Year: 1992

They may not have laced themselves, but the PUMA Disc Runner did introduce an innovative alternative to standard shoe laces.


Reebok Instapump Fury

8.

Reebok Instapump Fury (1994)

Year: 1994

Reebok’s Pump technology was first introduced on 1989’s Pump basketball shoe, but the Instapump Fury took things a step further by allowing users to snug their kicks up via a CO2 cartridge-powered handheld pump.


Nike Air Rift

10.

Nike Air Rift (1996)

Year: 1996

Before Vibram popularized individually articulated appendages in footwear with its FiveFingers shoes, Nike had the Air Rift with it’s decoupled big toe. While it was seen as an oddity at the time, the concept took off over a decade later.


adidas KB8

12.

adidas KB8 (1997)

Year: 1997

Feet You Wear technology may be best remembered for having a cool logo, but the concept introduced the importance of natural motion long before it became trendy on more contemporary models. The technology preceded minimal innovations like Nike Free, Minimus, and others.


Nike Air Foamposite One

14.

Nike Air Foamposite One (1997)

Year: 1997

Not only was Eric Avar’s design ahead of its time, so was the price tag. It’s been 18 years since the Foamposite released, and we’re just now starting to see other sneakers hit the $180 mark with regularity.


adidas Kobe 2

16.

adidas Kobe Two (2001)

Year: 2001

The Kobe 2 looked like a shoe from the future, albeit a future that no one, including Kobe (who left for Nike shortly thereafter) wanted to be a part of.


adidas_1

18.

adidas_1 Smart Shoe (2006)

Year: 2006

The $250 adidas_1 was released as both a basketball and running model, and boasted an on-board computer that could make micro adjustments to the shoe’s cushioning.


Nike Flyknit Racer

20.

Nike Flyknit (2012)

Year: 2012

The act of knitting is hardly futuristic, but applying the technique to performance footwear represents a new way of thinking about production by building up the materials seamlessly as opposed to cutting them away. It’s a philosophy the brand plans on expanding as an important piece of their future, which means Flyknit will be around for years to come.