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Project Amplify: Powered footwear for running and walking
- SilverElfin 11mo agoI don’t get the point. Maybe there’s a therapy angle? But otherwise if someone wanted to go faster they could go to a bike, e-bike, or car.
- sega_sai 11mo agoI assume there is a military angle here.
- mewpmewp2 11mo agoI would like to have something like this if it helped me with e.g. shin splints, or similar, because I really love running, but I tend to overdo it and I don't have any other options than asphalt to run on. Not sure if this one would be good for shin splits though. I guess this could potentially just be a fun thing to run a bit faster, but that alone wouldn't be worth it for me. But if it allowed me to balance where the strain goes, then yeah.
- ivoflipse 11mo agoI was going to comment the same thing, rather than push off harder, I'd hope it help brace for impact and relieve some of the weaker muscles. Yes, I should perhaps be doing strength training, but I have limited hours to exercise and I'd prefer to spend them running rather than training so that eventually I could be running. Another thing that happens is that your technique gets worse during longer runs, making you more prone to injuries. Maybe a device like this could either support you so you can run longer runs or compensate to make sure you don't hurt yourself. So if this device helps with reducing running based injuries, I'm all for it I have an electric cargo bike that I put in one of the lowest settings, if I cycle at the top speed it doesn't help much if at all. But accelerating from a dead stop is nice. This could be similar
- mewpmewp2 11mo agoOff topic, but for what it's worth I'm getting myself a rowing machine to try and alleviate my running cravings, especially as winter is coming. I'm not sure if it will be able to reproduce the feelings I get from running as I haven't done rowing enough, but running seems to be the only thing I've found that puts me into this flow state. Cycling is too limited, legs only, HR doesn't get high enough, so hopefully rowing is better due to it being full body. Rowing won't be outside and I won't be physically moving around so that may be the downside. But the metrics to achieve should be much more consistent and comparable compared to if there's many weather changes otherwise, so looking forward to seeing progress there.
- iamacyborg 11mo agoFwiw I find the stairmaster to be the least boring of the cardio machines when looking for a replacement for running. That thing will make you sweat.
- mewpmewp2 11mo agoHave you tried rowing and you found that more boring? I feel like rowing with added bonus of training more muscles would seem most fun?
- iamacyborg 11mo agoYeah tried it and I personally found it less fun.
- mewpmewp2 11mo agoThe tension on the hands feels very good though. And I do wonder if it also trains muscles around ankles that will help prevent shin splints.
- iamacyborg 11mo agoIt’s somewhat funny that you mention shin splints and technique breakdown, both of which can be helped through regular gym going but also want a shortcut rather than the obvious solution. Shin splints really do suck though, I had some that put me off running for about 12 months.
- onion2k 11mo agoI want to see a competitive sports event like the Olympics where this sort of technology is allowed.
- tavavex 11mo agoI wish that existed too. Not just an event to see how far the human body can be pushed naturally, but also another one to see how far it can be pushed, period. There would still need to be regulation to ensure that people didn't actively harm themselves (like extreme doping or something), but other augmentations like exoskeletons and such would be allowed.
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- ThrowawayR2 11mo agoMight be good for the last mile commuting problem, where people need a way to get from their home to a bus stop that is a mile or two away. A bicycle is not a good solution because then you have to take it on to the bus and to your destination.
- treis 11mo agoLots of people walk long ways for different reasons. I'm very dubious that this will ever be a thing but there's definitely a market.
- tavavex 11mo agoBikes and cars are modes of transport. They're optimal for getting around at high speeds, but when you don't need them, you need to leave them somewhere, they're large and not very convenient. On the other hand, these are shoes. You put them on in the morning and can wear them anywhere outside, they're not separate things you need to handle. I can definitely see demand for this from people who walk all day long for their jobs (warehouse workers, military, etc) or hikers/runners who want to stretch their endurance over a larger distance.
- int_19h 11mo agoFor that matter, I could see walking more if this kind of assist meant that more places are suddenly within walking range now in terms of one's capacity to get there without exhausting oneself.
- chaostheory 11mo agoI see this more applicable to the military and law enforcement, but yes also for the elderly and disabled. Yeah, the opening line with “athletes” doesn’t make sense. There are already powered leg augmentations on the market for $3-5k, but these are much smaller.
- jayd16 11mo agoWhat about a hike just on the edge of your ability?
- ajkjk 11mo agoIt sounds fun tbh (not to mention all the potential medical uses)
- bix6 11mo agoWild! Looks like it pulls your heel up so reduces energy requirement of each up stroke? Seems like it would need to be super light to offset carrying more mass?
- jvdvegt 11mo agoI'd like such technology very much, as I lack about 80% of my calf muscles due to an auto immune disease. I can't walk without a (non powered) exo skeleton, and perhaps with these I can walk stairs again.
- ternus 11mo agoWow, that's awful. Have you looked into the existing powered exoskeletons? Or are those too hip/thigh focused to help?
- esseph 11mo agoThere's some excellent knee ones, too
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- tartoran 11mo agoAre you using something like this? Do you get back most of your previous functionality? https://newatlas.com/unpowered-ankle-exoskeleton-walking-efficiency/36847/ https://newatlas.com/unpowered-ankle-exoskeleton-walking-eff...
- tarellel 11mo agoI completely agree my mother has MS and I have my own autoimmune issues. Something like this would be extremely helpful for people with debilitating diseases that cause muscle deterioration.
- michelb 11mo agoMaybe you can checkout the Dephy Exoboot: https://www.dephy.com https://www.dephy.com No idea how far along they are though, but looks like they are open for early access. I'm sure you've already seen https://eu.hypershell.tech https://eu.hypershell.tech I'm hopeful these get cheaper, smaller and lighter, and more powerful. Would be great to have these accessible to a lot of people.
- arjie 11mo agoI'm a huge fan of "slightly better walking/running" kind of tech. Unfortunately, current technology lends itself to devices that are slightly too heavy. I have a pair of Shift Moonwalkers[0] that I was hoping would fulfill that role. A motorcycle accident interrupted my fitness program and it took quite a lot of work to get back to where I am. During that period there were many times when I was (minorly) injured repeatedly since all my muscles were just not strong enough to do things and I wasn't disciplined about them. I picked up some persistent tendinitis that is just healing with some physiotherapy. Things like this aren't terribly limiting in life but the primary problem is that a lot of the stuff you have to do is rest the appropriate body part! And to rest it, you need to not do things. I don't want to not do things. I want to do things while resting the appropriate part of my body. And I bet as I get older, all this stuff will catch up. So anything that will extend mobility to my elderly years (still far away) is great. If I do the right things, my body will function well into my 80s and if the tech is there hopefully I'll walk around with my grandkids. All in all, I'm hoping that material science in batteries, motors, and frames and product design all do a big leap in this in the next 40 years. The market is likely there with our aging population. 0: Here's an example of me using them after I got used to them https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qc5PKbJ3tq4 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/qc5PKbJ3tq4
- intrasight 11mo agoI am that older guy. For sure it catches up.
- mrcwinn 11mo agoI’m going to be ripped once the powered arms do my lifting for me.
- bigmattystyles 11mo agoCome to think of it, why is Superman muscular?
- ChrisArchitect 11mo agoRelated: Nike's plans to put the swoosh back into its sales https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/23/just-redo-it-inside-nikes-plans-to-put-the-swoosh-back-into-its-sales https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2025/oct/23/just-redo-it-i...
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- PuissantSheep 11mo agoFor those of you who don’t “see the point” of a device like this, what you are failing to see is your own personal use case. The use cases I can see for others are “anyone who might find this useful or fun”. To me, that means 1) people with medically compromised joints who would like to engage in experiences that their bodies don’t currently allow. 2) people who want to challenge themselves by making these joint additions add more resistance. 3) people who want more strength and/or power for any reason. “Fun” is a valid use case. These joint enhancements exist for hips, knees, and with this, now ankles. The logical end for this is a powered exoskeleton (and, after that, power armor).
- metabagel 11mo agoIt sounds great, but I’m skeptical that it will actually help without messing up the natural motion.
- terribleperson 11mo agoThere is nothing natural about the motions of running in modern running shoes, and yet people learn. Getting the behavior right will be difficult, I'm sure, but not impossible.
- mmooss 11mo ago> 1) people with medically compromised joints who would like to engage in experiences that their bodies don’t currently allow. And medically compromised muscles, nervous systems, etc. I know someone in that situation who loves scooters. They say it's like flying - they finally can move at will, instead of the lifelong difficulty and pain of walking.
- rich_sasha 11mo agoI find running incredibly boring, because the scenery changes so damn slowly around you. I would happily put in the same effort for the same time, but go substantially faster to make it more fun. Not sure I would buy this product, but I see more than 0 use for it.
- knowitnone3 11mo ago"designed to help everyday athletes* go a little bit faster and farther" When is the last time an athlete said I'm looking to go a little faster and farther with the aid of a powered device? Their target market is all wrong. This would be great if aimed towards low mobility users.
- 5- 11mo ago> an athlete said I'm looking to go a little faster and farther with the aid of a powered device isn't that a time-honoured tradition at tour de france?
- jayd16 11mo agoI'm sure it's science fiction right now but a pair of shoes that could teach you to do a kick flip would be pretty amazing. Pair with some power gloves to catch your fall and maybe I can learn to skateboard as my mid life crisis activity down the road.
- ewuhic 11mo agoThese are already common in China, and Nike will rip you off with the price for "western engineering".
- foolswisdom 11mo ago> Nike’s Project Amplify is the world’s first powered footwear system for running and walking, So this is straight up false?
- michelb 11mo agoThe Moonwalkers from Shift Robotics from 2022 come to mind, but are noticeably different. Or the Dephy Exoboot: https://www.dephy.com https://www.dephy.com which is also 'the first'
- Game_Ender 11mo agoCan you link some? I can only find the hip exoskeletons.
- echelon 11mo ago> These are already common in China Link? > and Nike will rip you off with the price for "western engineering". It's the brand more than anything. Nike's brand commands a premium. I've quite literally never seen a product like this on the market, so as far as I'm concerned if Nike is the first to Western market with the product, and they do a good job introducing it, it's their innovation. It's like with Nintendo and Apple. They're quite frequently not the first to develop a technology, but they take things and popularize them. Digital cameras, motion control, touch screens, smartphones, tablet gaming devices, ...
- egypturnash 11mo agoAre there any actual videos of this, you know, in use? All I see is a bunch of 3d renders of it. There isn't even a picture of a Nike executive holding a prototype.
- cheschire 11mo agohttps://youtu.be/Psp3YarOKVw https://youtu.be/Psp3YarOKVw Mrwhosetheboss did a video on the new Nike stuff including these
- FooBarBizBazz 11mo agoPales in comparison to Soviet science ;-): > the power comes from pistons that are filled with a fuel-air mixture, and fired by compression when the user puts his or her full body weight down into the boot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_boots https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket_boots https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/these-gas-powered-boots-were-made-for-22-mph/ https://www.cnet.com/tech/tech-industry/these-gas-powered-bo...
- CaptainOfCoit 11mo agoSeems to be these ones, and bunch of more videos in the description too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJvmAXCh6Ak https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJvmAXCh6Ak
- brcmthrowaway 11mo agoHas anyone 3d printed something similar? Looks doable - motors and servos are really cheap on AliExpress
- qingcharles 11mo agoWhen Nike was working on the Mags (self-lacing) there were lots of hobby projects to try and build the same thing, but none of them could come close to the finish and integration that Nike could manage with their resources and industrial processes. These Amplify are pretty complicated: https://youtu.be/Nz2Y0e7SgFY?t=404 https://youtu.be/Nz2Y0e7SgFY?t=404
- brcmthrowaway 11mo agoSo Nike is the apple of shors
- neilv 11mo agoIt's a start, but we're going to need a powered full exoskeleton, with armor, for fighting Nazis.
- MichaelNolan 11mo agoA lot of comments are casting doubt on why “athletes” would be interested in this product. In the bike world, electric pedal assist bikes have become very popular. I have some family members who are avid cyclists. They do 100+ miles a week. As they have gotten older (60+) they were losing the ability to engage in social rides with their bike friends, but e-bikes have solved that issue by giving them just a small boost needed to keep up. I could see this doing the same for older runners if the tech gets good enough. “Athlete” != “professional athlete” the word encompasses a wide range of people and abilities.
- jackyinger 11mo ago[flagged]
- grogenaut 11mo agoIs a ski lift athletic, it's powered. Does it make skiers inherently UN-athletic? I've got a 12 mile bike commute with a big ass hill at the end. If I do 0 miles a day/week/ever without an electric bike to get me up that hill, or I do 8 miles 2x a week with the electric, am I not more athletic? Are firemen who use a hose that is powered by a pump less athletic than those who carry water in buckets? If I'm normally sitting stationary and I do anything movement at all am I not, in fact, pushing the limits of my body? My mom was 80, and had a stroke. She couldn't lift her toes on the right side, making it hard to walk without tripping. These shoes are for "everyday athletes". Does this make her completely unathletic, or do they, in fact, allow her to become more athletic than she could be otherwise?
- MichaelNolan 11mo agoAre you sure? I am talking about 60 and 70 year olds who can ride a non e bike 50+ miles without stopping, but who need an e-bike to ride 50+ miles at the same pace as their younger friends. How is that person not athletic? Sure they aren’t winning any gold medals, but they are still clearly in the top 1% of their age group.
- bwoah 11mo ago
- mixologic 11mo agoYeah, but do they still work when us-east-1 goes down?
- bdangubic 11mo agoif it does I am buying this for my daughter to replace roomba which doesn’t :)
- igor47 11mo ago... Because currently, your daughter rides around on a Roomba? And this will allow her similar freedom of movement, but more fault-tolerant?
- RobotToaster 11mo agoHe obviously plans to get his daughter to vacuum the house with her new found mobility.
- stevage 11mo ago> This makes it easier for everyday athletes to walk or run more often, for longer amounts of time, while having more fun — adding movement to their lives, extending their walking commute, or helping them to enjoy the run for another mile or two. The people I know who run all do it for the exercise, not because they like the running. Why would you want to extend it?
- Mistletoe 11mo ago"If one could run without getting tired I don't think one would often want to do anything else" -C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle
- jstummbillig 11mo agoBecause now they might dislike it less (depending on what they dislike). People do more of things they like.
- watwut 11mo agoWhy did they picked sport they dont like? The people I know who stuck to running long term like it.
- glitchcrab 11mo agoI run for exercise, but I also genuinely enjoy it as an activity
- stevage 11mo agoI understand what you're saying on an intellectual level.
- bramhaag 11mo ago> The people I know who run all do it for the exercise, not because they like the running. That sounds like torture. Why would you voluntarily practice a form of exercise that you actively dislike, when there are basically infinite options to get the same benefits in different ways? Believe it or not, many people who stick with running do it because they enjoy it.
- fritzo 11mo agoThe batteries belong on a hip belt, not down where the foot swings > rechargeable cuff battery that seamlessly integrate with a carbon fiber–plated running shoe
- PeterStuer 11mo agoHow would this impact muscle development? Is the motion "natural', not just for e.g. the calf but also all the (minor) other muscles? Also. Would this change strain put on e.g knee joints, ankles, hips or spine?
- deleted 11mo ago[deleted]
- junglistguy 11mo ago[dead]
- wartywhoa23 11mo ago"In 2027, mechanically-augmented people all over the world suffered from extreme psychotic delusions, lost control of themselves, and started attacking people. Millions died. Hundreds of thousands more were injured and maimed. In the wake of this global catastrophe, society has become divided by hatred, prejudice, and fear, with many countries now enacting harsh laws. The most notable of these laws is the highly controversial “Human Restoration Act”, aimed at isolating “Augs” and keeping them away from “Naturals”." https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-MU5MgRV6U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-MU5MgRV6U
- gacklesschlong 11mo ago[flagged]
- amadeuspagel 11mo agoI like this. I like walking, and I already walk quite fast, but I'd like to see more while I walk. (Though, as I'm thinking about it right now, I might also just consciously practice walking faster.)
- Ericson2314 11mo agoI imagine this is dual-use technology. Surely there must have once been a Darpa project along these lines.
- b00ty4breakfast 11mo agoThis is godawful, I hate it. If you aren't physically disabled or injured you have no business using this kind of thing. I do not want to live in the world where otherwise fully-capable human beings are not even using their own legs to walk anymore either because they can't be bothered to get off the couch for an hour a day or because they don't have the time to improve their health. Absolutely disgusting nonsense. Get off my lawn, robot hippies
- rdiddly 11mo agoAll the "athlete" and "farther" and "faster" talk is all well and good, but kids are going to buy these, hack them, and use them to create the next generation of impossible dance moves.