The shoe laces up. The battery attaches to your calf. The motor hums softly, as if waiting. Then it kicks in: a small robotic arm connects your ankle to the sole, and when you walk, you feel a push from your heel. It's not dramatic, it doesn't catapult you forward like Marty McFly. It's subtle, almost polite. A bit like someone gave you a second pair of calves and only let you know after the third step. Nike calls it Project Amplify and it is, technically, the world's first motorized shoe designed for ordinary people.
Not for Olympic athletes, not for marathon runners looking to shave off seconds. Let's say for those who walk a kilometer every 10-12 minutes and just want to finish a little quicker without feeling exhausted.
How a foot exoskeleton works
The system is composed of three elements: a lightweight but powerful motor, a drive belt, and a rechargeable battery that attaches to the calf like a sports anklet. All of this integrates with a running shoe with a carbon fiber plate that can be worn even without the robotic partThe motor works on the natural movements of the lower leg and ankle, amplifying them. Nike explains The idea is to make it easier for ordinary people to walk or run more often, for longer periods, and have more fun. In other words, to add movement to their daily lives, extend their walking distance to work, or simply enjoy running for an extra mile or two.
The technology behind Amplify comes from Nike Sport Research Lab and is based on movement algorithms developed by studying thousands of athletes. But the real difference is made by the partnership with DephyDephy, a robotics startup founded in 2016 as an MIT spin-off, has a unique history: its founders developed the first ankle exoskeleton prototypes in collaboration with the U.S. Army.ExoBoot, their flagship product, was tested by the military to reduce fatigue during long marches with 50-140 lb. packs. Now that technology is moving from the battlefield to the road.
Amplify: an e-bike for your feet, more or less
Michael Donaghu, vice president of Create The Future, Emerging Sport and Innovation Nike puts it this way:
“Our job is to dream big while keeping athletes at the center. Project Amplify started with a single question: What if we could help people move faster and further with less energy and a lot more fun?”.
The comparison Nike insistently uses is with e-bikes. No one thinks electric bikes are gimmicks or make you lazy: they simply open up possibilities. They allow those no longer in their twenties to keep up with those in their twenties. They allow longer journeys without arriving at the office sweaty. Amplify promises the same thing, but for walking.
A journalist from Runner's World He tested a prototype on the 200-meter track at the Nike Sport Research Lab. First impression: “It’s like wearing an airport treadmill. Only it adapts to how I walk.” When the system is deactivated, you walk normally. When it’s turned on, you feel your heel lift and the shoe’s geometry push you forward. The sensation, he says, is “really fantastic.”
As you move from walking to jogging, the power output increases proportionally to your pace. It's not a passive treadmill: you're in control; the motor simply accompanies you.
Nike tested Amplify with over 400 people in recent years, both indoors and outdoors. The system is still under development, but the company aims for a consumer launch "in the next few years."
There's no official pricing, but considering that Dephy's military-grade exoskeletons start at tens of thousands of dollars, it's reasonable to expect the consumer version to be more accessible. Maybe not cheap, but not out of reach either.
The era of assisted laziness
Here comes the interesting part. Nike is very clear, I repeat: Amplify It is not intended for competitive runners or those who want to break records.It's for everyone else. For those who have stopped running because "I just can't do it anymore." For those who would like to walk more but are already tired after two kilometers. For those with joint problems, limited mobility, or simply less energy than before.
It's a democratic product, at least in its intentions. But it's also a product that raises questions. If we can walk with less effort, will we actually do it more often? Or will we get used to the push and stop moving without it?
The history of technology is full of similar paradoxes. Cars made us faster, but also more sedentary. Elevators freed us from the strain of stairs, but deprived us of a daily opportunity for exercise. The exoskeletons, in their medical version, have changed the lives of people with motor disabilities. But when do they become consumer products? When do they no longer serve for walking, but for walking better? It's a fine line. And Nike knows it.
When shoes become cyborgs
Project Amplify is part of a series of innovations Nike unveiled this month. There is Nike Mind, neuroscience-based footwear with foam nodes that stimulate sensory receptors in the feet to improve focus and concentration.
There is Aero-FIT, a cooling system for sportswear that is twice as effective as previous materials.
And there is Therma-FIT Air, a jacket with AIR (Adapt. Inflate. Regulate.) technology that dynamically regulates body heat. All technologies moving in the same direction: making the body a system that can be optimized, measured, and improved.
But Amplify is different. It doesn't just improve performance: literally changes the way you moveIt's no longer just a shoe that protects the foot or returns energy. It's a shoe that fa something for you. And this, while fascinating, is also a little disturbing. As long as it's about helping those with mobility issues, it makes sense. But when does it become standard? When does it become normal to no longer walk, but to be "assisted in walking"?
Amplify: The Improved Future
Phil McCartney, Nike's Chief Innovation Officer, says it explicitly: “By uniting our creative organizations at Nike, Jordan, and Converse, we are accelerating progress and leveraging our full strengths to deliver epic products that make athletes better.”The emphasis is on "making better." Not "helping," not "supporting." Improving. It's a small distinction, but a significant one. And perhaps that's where Amplify's future lies: figuring out whether it's a tool or a substitute.
For now, the debate is theoretical. Amplify is still a prototype, pricing isn't known, and availability is a long way off. But the question remains: If we could walk effortlessly, would we? Or would we simply walk less, knowing that when needed, there's always a motor ready to assist us? Technology offers possibilities.
Then it's up to us to decide what to do with it.
