Nike Unveils Project Amplify Powered Footwear

Nike unveiled Project Amplify, a battery-powered footwear system pairing a carbon-fiber–plated running shoe with a rechargeable calf cuff housing a lightweight motor, drive belt and battery to augment lower-leg movement. The system was developed at Nike’s Sport Research Lab in collaboration with robotics partners and tested on roughly 400 athletes, logging about 2.4 million steps across multiple hardware iterations. Nike describes Amplify as a first-generation, consumer-focused assistive product aimed at “everyday athletes” (roughly 10–12 minute mile runners), comparing its boost to electric bikes and saying it could help, for example, a 12‑minute miler approach a 10‑minute mile. Nike said some users saw roughly 15–20% energy savings, pace improvements toward faster miles, and up to about 10 km of powered running per charge, and that the shoe can be worn with or without the robotic assist. The company expects a broader consumer launch in the coming years, with reports pointing to an initial market arrival in spring 2026, and positioned the effort alongside a reorganization of its innovation teams and other tech-forward product platforms.