Nike is trying to sell you “mind and body” shoes.

New Nike”Shoes based on neuroscience“It is designed to stimulate an athlete’s mind before and after a big match Two shoesa mule shoe ($95 Mind 001) and a lace-up sneaker ($145 Mind 002), feature a distinctive array of 22 orange foam nodes embedded in each sole. Nike says each node moves up and down independently, like “pistons and axes” as the athlete walks, mimicking the feeling of walking on the ground in a way that is “scientifically proven” to stimulate the foot and thus activate sensory areas of the brain.

Nike has not published the scientific evidence it says explains how the 001 and 002 brains work He does Helping the athlete focus. But Nike spokesman Jay Pavonpera said Edge A white paper on the technology will be released within “a couple of weeks.” He said the shoe designs are based on “hundreds of athletes and thousands of hours of testing.”

The department that developed the knot design, the Mind Science team within the Nike Sport Research Lab, did so by “leveraging one of the very few mobile brain and body imaging laboratories in the world.” The company says. Each node is positioned far enough away from the others so that the wearer can perceive each as separate, according to Graeme Moffat, lead researcher at Mind Science. This is why the nodes in the heel are spaced farther apart and closer together under the ball of the foot. “Nike Mind is a new sensory footwear concept that helps reawaken the foot, body and mind,” says Nike Vice President of Innovation and Creative Director Eric Avar.

While many Nike shoes focus on cushioning, over the years they have responded to competition from minimalist shoes such as Vibram five fingers And Crocs with similar products Nike free shoes.

The Mule Mind 001, available in gray and red, and the Mind 002 sneakers, available in gray only, are both branded Pre-match shoes. On the Nike Mind website. Both will be available in January 2026.