The Adidas 1 was a running shoe made by German multinational corporation Adidas, introduced in early 2005. It was the second general consumer sneaker to incorporate a computer,[1] after the Adidas 'Micropacer' in 1984.[2] The shoe was later discontinued and later followed by the Adidas_1 basketball shoe, introduced in 2006.[3]
Requiring three years of development prior to release, the shoe adjusted itself after four strikes stride, using a motor in the middle of the sole. The motor turned a screw, which in turn lengthened or shortens a cable, changing the compression characteristics of the heel pad.
The shoe retailed for $250 in the U.S. at launch. The changes were guided by a sensor in the heel, which determined how much the heel was compressed on each stride. The shoe was battery-powered, and lasted for approximately 100 hours of running.[4]
On 25 November 2005, Adidas released a new version of the Adidas 1. There was an increased range of cushioning and a new motor with 153% more torque in the IL 1.1 upgrade.