Is Nike Making a 'Conveyor Belt' Sneaker?

Nike is once again looking to change the game with a built-in conveyor belt sneaker.

Nike Conveyor Belt Sneaker Patent
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Image via US Patent Office

Nike Conveyor Belt Sneaker Patent

As the sneaker industry's innovation arms race continues to heat up, Nike may be working on one of its most ambitious technologies to date.

Digital Trends recently discovered a patent filed by the brand in early May, in which it describes a sneaker design featuring a 'rotatable conveyor element.' Built into the shoe's sole, the mechanism would engage the wearer as the foot enters and draw it into the space. The patent also includes a controller device of some sort that would control the mechanism once the shoe is on—possible an entirely separate piece of equipment or a built-in-switch.

Nike is already in the mechanized sneaker market, having launched the auto-lacing HyperAdapt 1.0 back in 2016. This conveyor belt concept could also work in unison with Nike's Flyease technology, a Velcro fastening system introduced by the brand in 2015 to assist athletes with disabilities.

The filing of a patent doesn't mean the conveyor belt sneaker is confirmed for a future release, just that the idea is being developed and protected by Nike at the moment.