This Robot Extends the Life of Your Favourite Sneakers

Dennis This entry was published by Dennis. He is the newest addition to the Grailify team and he provides you with the most important sneaker news every day. 2022-09-15

Nike's vision has changed a lot in recent years. Products today are meant to be produced with the ulterior motive of being reused, recycled, rediscovered, and loved again as something brand new. Extending the life of a product is a key component of this 'circular future'. Giving a product a second life reduces the environmental impact on the planet. This insight has led to Nike's latest retail innovation: B.I.L.L., Bot Initiated Longevity Lab, which is making its debut in Nike Town London.

"The thing is that taking care of old products is something very personal. People go through great lengths to look after their favourite shoes. Repairing a product is a way of prolonging our memory of it. We see B.I.L.L. as a tool to do that. Robots can do things that are hard to do by hand, but when we use robotics as part of a recycling technology, we still want the service to be personal."

Says Noah Murphy-Reinhertz, Sustainability Lead, Nike NXT.

Enjoying Your Beloved Sneakers for Longer

With advanced robotics, old-school craftsmanship, water-based cleaning products, and recycled polyester patches, B.I.L.L. is currently able to extend the life of Air Force 1’s, Air Jordan 1’s, Space Hippie 01’s and Nike Dunks.

After a shoe is placed in the robot, a three-dimensional digital model of the shoe is created, detailing the areas of the upper, sidewalls, and outsole that need to be cleaned.

Buyers can then select "patches", for example, to repair the worn areas on the upper of their shoe.

Once B.I.L.L. is finished with the shoes (in total, it takes B.I.L.L. about 45 minutes to make a pair of Air Force 1’s), Nike store staff add new linings and laces made of recycled materials.

Free Service for London Sneakerheads

Whoever thought they could now go to the nearest Nike Store to have their sneakers repaired would be slightly disappointed. B.I.L.L. is currently at Nike Town London and will be available there throughout September.

According to Murphy-Reinhertz, this is a pilot, and London will provide valuable insights that will inform the future of sustainable services in Nike Town.