Adidas Unveils All-Knowing Running Shoes

May 13, 2004 -- -- Wouldn't it be great if your running shoes were so sensitive that they could actually adjust when you move from hard pavement to squishy grass?

Well, maybe they can.

Adidas has come up with Adidas 1, billed as the first running sneaker to have an embedded microprocessor that actually adjusts the shoe according to the terrain you are running over.

The microprocessor, placed under the arch of the of the foot, measures the compression of the runner's stride and sends a message to cables in the shoe to make adjustments around the foot, using software that calculates whether a shoe is too firm or too soft. This makes running over changing terrain easier.

The shoe is powered by a battery that conserves power by adjusting the shoe while it is in the air during a runner's stride. The battery, which is replaceable and lasts for 100 hours of running, powers the shoe's motor.

Only a handful of engineers even within Adidas knew of the development of the sneakers, to keep the technology secret from rivals Nike and Reebok. It took three years to perfect them.

If you want to try out these high-tech kicks, be prepared to pay a high price. The sneakers, which will hit the market in limited distribution in December, cost $250.