Nike patents shoe laces that tighten using a long spool in the sole
This filing describes a self-lacing shoe system where a motor in the sole winds a main lace onto a long, narrow spool. As the main lace moves, it pulls multiple individual laces across the shoe to tighten or loosen the fit.
In the filing’s own words
An article of footwear and related method includes a midsole, an upper secured with respect to the midsole and forming a throat, and a plurality of laces extending across the throat of the upper. A motorized lacing system is positioned within the midsole and is configured to engage with a primary lace to increase and decrease tension on the primary lace. The motorized lacing system includes a motor, a lace spool, operatively coupled to the motor, configured to spool and unspool the primary lace based, and an elongate spool, the primary lace coupled to the elongate spool, configured to spool and unspool the plurality of laces based on operation of the motor and via the primary lace, each of the plurality of laces spaced along the elongate spool from one another.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. An article of footwear, comprising: a midsole; an upper secured with respect to the midsole and forming a throat; a plurality of laces extending across the throat of the upper; and a motorized lacing system positioned within the midsole, configured to engage with a primary lace to increase and decrease tension on the primary lace, the motorized lacing system comprising: a motor; a lace spool, operatively coupled to the motor, configured to spool and unspool the primary lace based on an action of the motor; and an elongate spool, the primary lace coupled to the elongate spool, configured to spool and unspool the plurality of laces based on operation of the motor and via the primary lace, each of the plurality of laces spaced along the elongate spool from one another.
Facts
- Company
- Nike (NIKE, Inc.)
- Official title
- AUTOLACING FOOTWEAR MOTOR HAVING AN ELONGATE SPOOL
- Publication number
- US20260294046A1
- Application number
- 19542164
- Filed
- Feb 17, 2026
- Published
- Oct 1, 2026
- Inventors
- 1
- Claims
- 1
Classified under
A43C 11/165 Human necessitiesA43B 3/34 Human necessitiesA43B 11/00 Human necessitiesA43C 1/04 Human necessitiesA43C 7/005 Human necessitiesA43C 7/08 Human necessitiesMore from Nike in Wearables
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.