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Freeman [soylentnews.org] writes:

https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/07/immensely-disappointing-nike-killing-app-for-350-self-tying-sneakers/ [arstechnica.com]

In 2019, Nike got closer than ever to its dreams of popularizing self-tying sneakers by releasing the Adapt BB. Using Bluetooth, the sneakers paired to the Adapt app that let users do things like tighten or loosen the shoes' laces and control its LED lights. However, Nike has announced [nike.com] that it's "retiring" the app on August 6, when it will no longer be downloadable from Apple's App Store or the Google Play Store; nor will it be updated.

In an announcement recently spotted by The Verge [theverge.com], Nike's brief explanation for discontinuing the app is that Nike "is no longer creating new versions of Adapt shoes.” The company started informing owners about the app's retirement about four months ago.
[...]
Adapt BB owners have shared disappointment after learning the news. One Reddit user who claimed to own multiple pairs of the shoes called [reddit.com] the news "hyper bullshit," while another described it [reddit.com] as "immensely disappointing."

Some hope [reddit.com] that Nike will open-source the app so that customers can maintain their shoes' original and full functionality. But Nike hasn't shared any plans to do so. Ars Technica asked the company about this but didn't hear back ahead of press time.
[...]
Some may be unsurprised that Nike's attempt at commercializing the shoes from Back to the Future Part II [arstechnica.com] has run into a wall. Nike, for instance, also discontinued NikeConnect, its app for $200 NBA jerseys announced in 2017 that turned wearers into marketing gold [arstechnica.com].

Casual sneaker wearers would overlook the Adapt BB's flashy features, but the shoe had inherent flaws that could frustrate sneaker fanatics, too. It didn't take long, for example, for a recommended software update to break the shoes [washingtonpost.com], including making them unwearable to anyone who wanted to tighten the laces (at the time, Nike said the problem affected a small number of owners).

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