@j23app/Instagram/NikeHave you ever been walking through a field and thought ‘I wish my feet would just blend right in with the grass like camouflage but specifically for my feet’?
No, me neither, but no matter, we can all now live that fantasy thanks to the folk at Nike, who are launching a new Air Max trainer made of fake grass.
They’re called the Air Max 1 G, and to be fair, they might look pretty darn snazzy on a golf course, which is what they’re loosely designed for.
However, they’re not out just yet, but will set you back a cool £110 when they do. Perfect for a few holes with your golfing pals.
Fortunately, not the whole shoe is made of fake grass. The outsole is still the traditional gum rubber, rather than the soil you usually find under grass, so your grip should still be fine as you near the green.
Possibly inspired by Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street, Nike’s fuzzy new footwear will be irresistible to the touch, you know you’re going to want to run your fingers through those bad boys.
As Golf Poser put it:
This brand new spikeless golf shoe blends signature AM1 details with golf specific footwear technology to produce an almost identical replication of one of the most iconic and most popular Nike sneakers of all time.
The new spikeless outsole is soft yet durable enough to wear on any terrain, while the design has been inspired by Nike’s integrated traction technology for incredible grip, stability and performance through the swing.
@j23app/Instagram/NikeAs well as matching green laces, of course, there’s been some lovely topiary work around the classic Nike swoosh on the side of the shoe.
You’ve got to admit, golfer or not, they look seriously comfortable:
Nike’s design team seem to be on a roll at the moment. Earlier this week the company unveiled the Nike Adapt BB – Nike’s first self-lacing trainer (aside from the ones in Back to the future 2, of course).
The Adapt BB are specifically designed for basketball players, with the wearer being able to control the lacing and tightness of the shoe, via an app on their smartphone.
The self-lacing shoes went on sale yesterday, January 17, in the US, and cost $350 (£272).
Introducing Nike Adapt BB. Power laces for the perfect fit.
Pre-order now for a limited time only on https://t.co/bowoctlxR0 in the U.S. Arriving globally February 17: https://t.co/5cm5ou0XQC #nikeadapt pic.twitter.com/UDbUBK7HvK
— Nike (@Nike) January 15, 2019
According to Nike, wearers will be able to programme different settings for their shoes, such has how the laces are tied and how tightly they are done up. They’ll also be able to switch from, for example, a basketball setting, to a more comfortable setting, using their phones.
The Nike Adapt BB works by having a custom motor and gear train inside the shoe, which will sense the tension needed by the wearer’s foot, before adjusting itself accordingly.
Surely the next step is to combine these two trainers, so golfers can have one lace setting for teeing off, and another for putting on the green. Also, a setting that unlaces the shoes completely would be great, just to save me bending down to untie them myself, if anything.
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Charlie Cocksedge is a journalist and sub-editor at UNILAD. He graduated from the University of Manchester with an MA in Creative Writing, where he learnt how to write in the third person, before getting his NCTJ. His work has also appeared in such places as The Guardian, PN Review and the bin.