Nike has developed two new pairs of shoes as part of a “neuroscience-based footwear” lineup that they hope can help improve an athlete’s brain.
The shoes, called the Mind 001 and the Mind 002, feature 22 foam nodes under the shoes that move independently as a person puts weight on their foot. These nodes help a person better feel the forces at play in their feet, in turn improving sensory feedback from the body to the brain.
According Matt Nurse, the chief science officer and a 23-year veteran at Nike who helped design shoes for Kobe Bryant, the shoes help to intuitively enhance someone’s sense of their surroundings. The nodes, he says, act as a sort of sensory antenna for the brain.
“We [tested] it on an artificial grass surface in the lab in Beaverton and you can feel the blades,” Nurse told Gear Patrol. “It’s a really, really unique sensation. You can’t even do that with a sock.”
Mind-Body Connection
To test the impact of the nodes, Nurse and the team at Nike’s Mind Science Department used a series of tools and techniques to measure brain activity when comparing the Mind 001 and Mind 002 to a control shoe.
“In the sensory cortex, where all the sensory information comes in, the activity there is increased while wearing Mind 001 and Mind 002 compared to a control shoe. That’s a good sign,” said Nurse
Nike plans to release the shoes in early 2026 while continuing to work to find ways to improve athletic performance and reduce injury likelihood.
“People still have obstacles to sport. People still want to figure out the best way to get better. People still get hurt … As long as those challenges and barriers exist, we still have work to do,” said Nurse.
Dr. Silverman Comments
This shoe and the technology behind it falls in line with much of the advice I share with my patients. As I’ve said in the past, we aren’t born wearing shoes, and there is a real brain-body benefit to walking barefoot (in the right environment) to improve sensory feedback and foot proprioception.
The design of the shoe also emphasizes why many foot specialists, myself included, do not recommend certain shoe inserts or large stiff shoes for patients. These stiff shoes or inserts can mess with the sensory relays that your feet are trying to send to your brain. Going barefoot, in this case wearing specifically designed shoes to improve sensory feedback, could give athletes a leg up on the competition during training or help older adults mitigate their risk of a fall. It will be interesting to track the public perception of the shoes and whether or not they truly deliver on their goals. We’ll keep an eye on all of the latest Nike innovations on our blog going forward.
In the meantime, if you or someone you know needs help overcoming a foot or ankle issue, reach out to Dr. Silverman by filling out this contact form.