Nike pitches robotic sneakers and mind-altering mules

Nike is no stranger to a unique footwear concept, be it self-lacing shoes or a “Hyperboot” that can speed up recovery. The company claims its Project Amplify and new “neuroscience-based” footwear take things a bit further, though, by actively augmenting your body and mind while you’re wearing them.

Developed with robotics startup Dephy, Project Amplify acts as “a second set of calf muscles” for “everyday athletes” who want to walk or run more. Nike says the first-generation model consists of a running shoe with a carbon fiber plate, a calf-mounted rechargeable battery, a motor and a drive belt. While it has the neon colors and cushioned finish of a normal pair of running shoes, the basic design of Project Amplify seems like a more polished version of the robotic Sidekick shoes Dephy is already pitching on its website.

Project Amplify doesn’t replace your legs’ ability to walk or run, but rather makes going further and faster easier. Nike compares the experience to an e-bike, which typically don’t eliminate the need for pedaling, and instead augment your pedals with power from an electric motor. Nike says Project Amplify “makes walking or running uphill feel like moving on flat ground,” and in the case of some people who tested it, turned a 12-minute mile into a 10-minute mile. Dephy and the Nike Sport Research Lab (NSRL) worked with more than 400 different athletes to test various versions of robotic shoes, covering “over 2.4 million steps, the equivalent of roughly 12,000 laps around the NSRL’s 200-meter track.”

The companies’ approach, melding an existing fashion brand with robotics, is similar to Arc’teryx’s MO/GO pants from 2024, robotic trousers developed in partnership with Skip that help hikers with balance and endurance. Project Amplify is smaller (and hopefully less expensive), but robot-assisted gadgets increasingly seem like a way robotics research could make its way into consumer products, beyond things like vacuums.

Nike’s Mind 001 and Mind 002 shoes are based on the company’s neuroscience research, and are strange in a different way. Created by the Nike Mind Science Department, the foam nodes in both shoes — a pair of mules and sneakers, respectively — imparts the texture of the ground underneath the wearer’s feet. This process “heightens sensory awareness, which can help clear away distractions and enhance concentration,” Nike says.

The Nike Mind 001 and Mind 002 will go on sale in January 2026 as the first shoes in the Nike Mind line. Nike says Project Amplify, meanwhile, will receive “a broad consumer launch in the coming years.”