The Adapt BB smart sneakers are about to lose their magic as Nike confirms it's pulling their app from the App Store

Nike Adapt BB shoes
(Image credit: Nike)

You've heard of smartphones and smart homes, and there are smartwatches as well. But did you know that there is such a thing as a pair of smart sneakers, too? Well, now you do. And you better hope you don't own a pair.

Nike, the maker of the self-lacing Adapt BB smart sneakers, says that it is removing the companion app that owners use to customize them, and it's doing it soon. As of August 6, 2024, the Adapt app will no longer be available for download from the App Store.

It isn't just iPhone owners that are going to be left in the lurch, either. Nike has confirmed that it is removing the app from the Google Play Store, too.

The other shoe just dropped

Nike confirmed the news of the "Nike Adapt app retirement" via a new support document that outlines the plans.

So what does this mean? "Don’t worry, your Adapt shoes will continue to work without the app," Nike explains, saying that those with the app should continue to function while it;'s installed. You just won't be able to redownload the app when you buy a new iPhone. With the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro just around the corner, that could be an issue for some.

Nike also says that the self-lacing shoes will continue to work but that "you'll lose access to lighting and the ability to lace the shoes using your phone." The good news is that you can lace them up manually and that the lighting will remain the color you last configured, so make sure it's a color you like before you set up your new iPhone this September.

iPhone 15 Pro Max | $0.1 via Boost Infinite at Amazon

iPhone 15 Pro Max | $0.1 via Boost Infinite at Amazon

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the best device you can currently buy for Apple Intelligence. Get an iPhone 15 Pro Max for just one cent when you buy it at Amazon alongside a Boost Infinite plan.

Price check: $1,099 at Best Buy | $1,199 at Apple

More from iMore

Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.