Without the app, owners can use the shoes' physical buttons to turn them on and off, check battery status, tighten or loosen laces and save a single preset, but there will be no way to adjust the shoes' lighting.
The laces of the Nike Adapt BB basketball shoes, which were x-nba-nightly-tatum-and-luka-debut-nike-adapt-bb-more”>used by athletes The sneakers, like those worn by Jayson Tatum and Luka Doncic, could be adjusted using buttons on the shoes or via Bluetooth. The app also allowed users to configure three fit settings and adjust the color of the shoes' LED lights — features that will continue to work for Adapt BB users who already have the app installed on their phones.
However, after August 6, Nike warns users that “they will not be able to move the app to a new device and future iOS updates may limit or end functionality, or may completely remove the app from your device.”
Nike’s decision to pull the app is another reminder of the challenges involved in designing smart clothing. Most consumers may be used to the idea of upgrading their smartphone every few years, but a pair of electronic 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 that a company would decide to stop paying for the maintenance and ongoing development of an app for a product it's no longer making money from, but that doesn't ease the pain of losing functionality on your five-year-old sneakers.
