Shoe Biz

Adidas, the German shoe manufacturer, has just rolled out a $250 pair of athletic shoes with active cushioning, controlled by a microprocessor embedded inside the arch of each shoe. A magnetic sensor measures the impact in each step and the microprocessor adjusts a cable-tensioning system to add or remove cushioning as needed. The integral, replaceable battery lasts 100 hours, which is how long a top-line pair of running shoes like these Adidas-1 shoes is supposed to last anyway.