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The Adidas_1, launched in 2005, was a running shoe that measured how much its cushioning compressed and adjusted that cushioning as the runner moved. Its “smart” feature was not a step counter: a sensor, processor and motor worked together to change the tension of a cushioning element. Electronic Design’s Mark David called it a winner and described strong interest at local stores, but that account does not establish broad sales or improved running performance.
What made the Adidas_1 “smart”
Adidas officially launched the electronics-enabled Adidas_1 in April 2005, after three years of laboratory development, according to Electronic Design’s April 14, 2005 article. The design aimed to keep the shoe’s cushioning within a preferred compression range as conditions changed, rather than merely recording the runner’s steps.
Mark Oleson, identified in the article as an electromechanical engineer on the Adidas Innovation Team, said the team compared sensor data with runners’ assessments: “When the two matched up, that helped validate our sensor,” says Oleson. The article describes this as part of developing the target compression zone; it does not report a controlled test showing that the shoe improved race times or prevented injuries.
How the sensing and adjustment system worked
Measuring compression
A Hall-effect sensor and magnet tracked compression in the cushioning element. The 2005 article reports that the sensor sent about 1,000 readings per second to the shoe’s processor and measured compression to an accuracy of 0.1 mm. These are specifications reported at the time, not newly verified measurements.
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Changing the cushioning
The processor compared the readings with the desired compression range. When it called for a change, a micromotor turned a lead screw that altered cable tension against the plastic cushioning element. Tightening the cable made the element less compressible; loosening it allowed more cushioning. In effect, the shoe adjusted the feel by changing how readily that element gave under load.
According to Electronic Design, adjustments were gradual, taking an average of four running steps, and occurred while the foot was in its swing phase—off the ground. The team’s stated design goal was to maintain a preferred level of compression across differences in running speed, runner weight and surface, not to produce a separately established performance benefit.
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How runners could adjust the feel
The automatic system was not the only control. The wearer could use plus and minus buttons to favor a firmer or softer ride. Those controls changed the preferred feel; they were not separate Adidas_1 models.
Battery life and launch-era price
Electronic Design reported a replaceable 3-V battery with an estimated life of about 100 hours of running. The article does not identify a battery model, form factor or compatible replacement, so that figure alone is not enough to select a substitute.
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Launch timing and price varied between period reports. EE Times reported a planned U.S. commercial launch in December 2004 at $250 per pair; Electronic Design later reported the official April 2005 launch. The $250 was a planned historical retail price, not a current price or evidence of how many pairs sold. See EE Times’ 2004 report.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Was it really a winner?
“Winner” is Mark David’s editorial judgment. He recounted that local stores were sold out, an anecdotal observation that does not establish market-wide demand, total sales or lasting popularity. Likewise, the engineering described in the article explains how the shoe adapted cushioning, but neither cited period report demonstrates that it improved performance or reduced injury.
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- Women's sleek shoes made for all-day comfort
- RUNS BIG: Buy Half a Size Smaller
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EE Times quoted Adidas global marketing director Erich Stamminger calling it “the first intelligent shoe ever” and saying, “It senses, understands and adapts.” That is a 2004 company marketing claim, not independent evidence that it was the first product of its kind.
The Adidas_1 is therefore best understood as a notable 2005 experiment in adaptive running-shoe engineering: its electronics measured and altered cushioning in use. The available reports establish that mechanism and the launch-era claims, not a current product line or a proven running advantage.
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