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Faulty Update Bricks Nike 'Self-Lacing' Smart Shoes

Android users who bought the Nike Adapt BB are taking to the Google Play Store to complain. 'Broke my $350 shoes with a Nike update,' reads one review.

 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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Nike's new basketball smart shoes are apparently bricking due to a faulty firmware update.

Android users who bought the Nike Adapt BB are taking to the Google Play Store to complain. "Right shoe won't connect after update and battery dies within a couple of hours," reads one review for the Nike Adapt app, which connects to the shoe.

"Broke my $350 shoes with a Nike update," reads another review.

Nike Adapt Complaints

It isn't clear how widespread the problem is for Android users; currently, Google Play shows 18 largely poor reviews for the app, all related to the update issues. But those appeared right after the shoes launched over the weekend.

Nike didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the firmware update problems don't appear to affect the iOS version of the Nike Adapt app, which has mostly positive reviews.

The Nike Adapt BBs have generated hype for the footwear's self-lacing system. Each sneaker can sense your foot's measurements and automatically tighten around it as you play a game of basketball for a perfect fit. To do that, this so-called "power lacing" system needs the Nike Adapt app and battery power. Nike plans to issue routine firmware updates to support its cutting-edge basketball shoes, though the updates are intended to be opt-in, Nike said last month.

Despite the faulty update, owners can still wear the Nike Adapt BBs without the app, but they'll just be regular sneakers. To fix the problem, users are reporting you can try initiating a factory reset. One owner managed to resolve the issues by activating the shoes using his wife's iPhone.

About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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