Within the Nike Sport Research Lab is a new division: The Mind Science Department, whose purpose is “deepening Nike’s understanding of the mind-body connection.” This division employs actual neuroscientists who use both brain and body imaging to “study the nervous system, brain activity and cognition of athletes in motion — leading to unique insights informing a completely new category of products and services to help athletes better prepare, train, compete and recover.”
Their studies have yielded the Nike Mind, a line of footwear with foam spheres on the bottom.
As you walk you can feel these spheres on the undersides of your feet, through the sole.
While that seems it might be annoying, those sensations are actually the point:
“Scientifically shown to activate key sensory areas of the brain via underfoot stimulation, the Nike Mind 001 mule and Mind 002 sneaker deepen an athlete’s awareness, helping ground them in their bodies and bring them back to the present moment.”
“The Mind 001 and Mind 002 feature 22 independent foam nodes per shoe that are bonded to a flexible, water-resistant material that allows them to act as pistons and gimbals as athletes move — imparting the feeling, and even the texture, of the ground directly beneath. This interaction heightens sensory awareness, which can help clear away distractions and enhance concentration.”
The Mind 001 is the slip-on you see in the photos; the Mind 002 is the actual sneaker.
Breakthrough, or hooey? We’ll have to wait for user reviews, which should come next year. Both Mind models will be released in January.