Nike Wearable Design: Project Amplify and the Rise of Motor-Assisted Movement

Nike’s Project Amplify signals a new chapter in Nike wearable design, where footwear evolves into a hybrid system that extends the body itself. Rather than focusing on elite performance gains, the motor-assisted anklet reframes athletic design around accessibility, endurance, and everyday movement.

Developed in collaboration with robotics company Dephy, Project Amplify is conceived as a wearable “second set of calf muscles.” The device adheres to the lower leg, integrating a motor, drive belt, and rechargeable battery into a compact system that assists walking and running by subtly lifting the heel in sync with the wearer’s natural stride.

From a design standpoint, Project Amplify challenges traditional definitions of footwear. It is not a shoe, nor an exoskeleton, but a modular augmentation layer — one that can be attached to or removed from existing running shoes. This flexibility positions Nike wearable design closer to adaptive technology than to conventional athletic equipment.

The form language of the device reflects this shift. A flat, pill-shaped motor housing sits against the upper ankle, while a curved structural element wraps around the shin, distributing weight and maintaining biomechanical balance. The battery pack encircles the lower calf, emphasizing continuity between object and anatomy rather than separation.

When Footwear Becomes Augmentation - Nike wearable design

Nike describes the sensation as comparable to the assistive boost of an electric bicycle — a framing that places Project Amplify within a broader cultural shift toward energy-assisted mobility. In this context, the device is less about speed optimization and more about reducing strain, enabling longer and more frequent movement.

Extensive testing supports this positioning. Over several years, more than 400 athletes trialed multiple iterations in outdoor environments and within Nike’s Sport Research Lab. Results suggest that runners at a 10–12 minute mile pace could significantly reduce effort and, in some cases, meaningfully improve their pace.

This focus on non-elite users is central to the philosophy behind Nike wearable design. Project Amplify is not aimed at competitive advantage, but at redefining who performance technology is for — expanding its scope to include casual runners, walkers, and those seeking assistance without medical framing.

At a broader level, Project Amplify reflects a growing convergence of design, robotics, and the human body. As wearable systems move closer to augmentation, designers are increasingly confronted with questions of dependency, agency, and identity: when does assistance become enhancement, and how does design mediate that transition?

Nike’s experiment suggests that the future of sportswear may lie not only in lighter materials, but in intelligent systems that collaborate with the body itself. In that sense, Nike wearable design is no longer just about what we wear — but about how design actively participates in movement.

Written by Otávio Santiago, a multidisciplinary designer exploring the intersection of emotion, form, and technology. His practice spans graphic, motion, and 3D design, bridging digital and physical experiences.