Pumped up kicks: Nike's prototype powered footwear system aims to be 'a second set of calf muscles' to give everyday athletes a real-life sprint mode

(Image credit: Nike)

I hate running. While I'm happy to throw the odd weight around in an effort to slow my descent into decrepitude, I refuse to submit my legs to such a cumbersome form of exercise. It looks like Nike might be about to change all that, however, as its Project Amplify footwear system is designed to give wearers "a second set of calf muscles"—which, in my case, would translate to "a single, decent set of calf muscles."

Okay, so they've been designed with "everyday athletes" in mind, and I'm definitely not one of those (via The Verge). But Nike, with the help of its robotics partner, Dephy, has created a system that augments lower leg and ankle movement via a lightweight-yet-powerful electric motor, attached to a drive belt and exoskeleton-like assembly.

"The fun comes from realizing you can do more than you thought you could—whatever more means to you," Donaghu continues. Hmm. More to me, in this case, would be the ability to leap from rooftop to rooftop like Spider-Man, a functionality these prototype shoes seem unable to provide. Yet, of course. Get to work, Nike. I have dreams to fulfil.

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A Nike Project Amplify prototype, in green — (Image credit: Nike)

Still, I'll take faster and easier walking and running as a starter step, for sure. And a starter step it appears to be, as this is described as a first-generation product (a prototype then, surely) of what will eventually become a pair of robot shoes for the masses, as Nike plans to bring the system to a broad consumer launch in the coming years. I doubt it'll look much like the product above by then, nor give you superhuman abilities—but you never know, do you?

In the meantime, it's already had some extensive testing. Apparently, more than 400 athletes have covered over 2.4 million steps over the past few years in more than nine different versions of the hardware. That's a whole lot of augmented steps, working out to the equivalent of roughly 12,000 laps around the Nike Sport Research Lab's 200 metre test track.

The tech has shown some promising results, according to Nike. Test athletes have described the system as feeling like part of their body, and something that makes walking or running uphill feel like moving on flat ground. Some have also reported up to two-minute faster lap times, too, so it certainly seems to add a real-life sprint mode to the capabilities of your everyday runner.

Which again, isn't me. But hey, I'd still be curious to give them a try. It takes me exactly 20 minutes to walk to the train station from my house, and if I could get that down to 18 minutes, it would result in slightly more time spent in bed. I told you I was lazy, didn't I? Bring on the augmented shoe future, that's what I say. My calves are ready.

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Andy built his first gaming PC at the tender age of 12, when IDE cables were a thing and high resolution wasn't—and he hasn't stopped since. Now working as a hardware writer for PC Gamer, Andy spends his time jumping around the world attending product launches and trade shows, all the while reviewing every bit of PC gaming hardware he can get his hands on. You name it, if it's interesting hardware he'll write words about it, with opinions and everything.

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