When it comes to shoe designers, Nike seems to be at the forefront of merging fashionable footwear with cutting-edge technology.
Remember when we told you about Nike's plans to release those awesome self-lacing shoes from "Back To The Future"?
Well, Nike is back at it, and this time the company is looking to tap into some futuristic technology that would even impress Marty McFly himself.
On Feb. 3, Nike was awarded a new patent that hints the sneaker company might be looking to add a dose of virtual reality to the shoe customization process.
When it comes to custom designs, Nike is no stranger to letting patrons personalize their kicks.
With its NikeiD website, customers can go online and customize different aspects of their shoes, or shoppers can stop by a Niketown store to see and feel different fabric swatches before deciding on a particular style.
But Nike's new technology would essentially merge the virtual aspects of NikeiD's website with physical elements of the real world.
The new patent depicts a person standing in front of a shoe-shaped object while clad in a "head mounted display”that would essentially lay images over the shoe.
In addition to VR goggles, the patent also included an "interacting device" that would allow you to draw the virtual concepts directly onto the shoe.
Quartz has recently reported the editing program used in conjunction with these VR goggles looks sort of like a mashup between NikeiD and Microsoft Paint.
It's still uncertain if this new augmented reality technology is being created for NikeiD shoppers or Nike's shoe designers, but regardless, it looks pretty badass.
While there's also no guarantee this patent will turn into a new product, it's safe to say Nike's future is looking pretty bright at the moment.
Take a look at the images below to see Nike's new patent design.
Nike's new patent features VR goggles that overlay images onto a physical, shoe-shaped object.
The patent also features a pen-shaped interactive device that would let you draw designs directly onto the shoe while using the VR goggles.
Citations: Nike May Let You Design Your Next Pair Of Shoes Using Virtual Reality (Quartz)
