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Just mod it!
By booyaa | November 21, 2006
Today’s post is about using the Nike+iPod sports kit on running shoes that are not Nike+ compatible.
Of the mods I’ve seen they have ranged from commercial endeavours such Marware’s Sportsuit Sensor+ to the home brews. The home brews you maybe surprised to learn, can range from physical shoe mods to chip pouches.
The rating system is based on pluses (see what I did there? 
) ranging from 1 to 10. Where 1 is very bad and 10 is very good.
Physical shoe mod
As you can see the owner has cut a chip sized hole out of his shoe. Probably the riskiest since you’re changing the structure of the shoe.
Risk: 3+ Get it wrong and you just killed your kicks.
Ingenuity: 7+ Well it’s entirely different from the other mods.
Style: 5+ - Totally stealthily, just like the genuine article.
Cost: 1+ or 8+ This could go both ways, it’s either zero cost or a new pair of kicks.
Overall: 5+ I like the idea, but it’s just too risky.
Tucked in
Probably the easiest mod with no additional cost. I suspect it could be uncomfortable having the chip dug in between the shoe, lace and tongue. There’s also a risk the chip could slip and go flying.
Risk: 4+ If it snuck out you would almost certain lose the chip.
Ingenuity: 6+ Very little effort required.
Style: 4+ Kinda lo-fi.
Cost: 7+ Costs nada.
Overall: 6+ Less riskier than cutting a chunk of material out of your trainer.
Velcro pouch
Possibly my favourite of the mods, requires a little needle work, but most of the work is being done by the velcro.
Risk: 8+ All depends on how your needle work is.
Ingenuity: 8+ It’s amazing what a few strips of velcro with some needle and thread can achieve.
Style: 7+ Again dependent on your needle work.
Cost: 7+ If you’re lucky you’ll already have everything you need, otherwise it’s a trip to the haberdashery.
Overall: 9+ My favourite of the homebrew mods.
Slightly left field
The plastic bag is a variation on the tucked in mod, but may reduce the risk of the chip being lost. I have to say using a bike inner tube as pouch is a stroke of genius. The flap mod appears to be another variation on the tucked in mod, and is rather flaptastic.
The last image is not a mod, but a genuine apple trainer. I just thought I’d throw that one in for a bit of retro chic! 
Risk: 4+ Untested design, only time will tell with these mods.
Ingenuity: 9+ The inner tube scored it for me on sheer simplicity.
Style: 2+ Not the prettiest bunch, you may get sniggers at races.
Cost: 6+ Provided you got the material lying around you’re sorted.
Overall: 7+ It’s got to be cool when you go against the grain.
Commercial
If you can’t be arsed to make your own pouch or don’t like the idea losing the chip then it’s time to fork out some hard earned cash and invest in the commercial offerings. At the time of writing I was only aware of Marware’s Sport Sensor-Nike iPod Sport Kit
Risk: 9+ Built for purpose, the risk of losing the chip is very low.
Ingenuity: 1+ Well it’s not as if you invented it…
Style: 8+ Nothing like a professional finish.
Cost: 1+ It’s a lot to pay for convenience.
Overall: 5+ For people who don’t want to go through the faff of modding their favourite shoe to get it work with the Nike+ sports kit.
So there you have, it. You don’t need to totally sell your soul and buy Nike trainers to play with the sports kit. I would like to thank my fellow runners from Flickr for kindly allowing me to use their pictures of their mods.
[tags]Nike+, sports kit, Apple, mod, homebrew[/tags]
Topics: default |
November 22nd, 2006 at 12:35 pm
Great article and very well written. I’m honored that you used on of my images!
November 23rd, 2006 at 1:32 am
Great article! I’m also honored that that you used some of my images.
November 26th, 2006 at 2:49 pm
Cool!
February 8th, 2007 at 6:27 am
Very good to know! I prefer Asics to Nike, so it’s nice to know that there are other options. Although, the custom Nike have caught my eye, so I may give them another chance ;)…