Adidas jumps into wearable computing with smart clothing

Even the most casual trend spotter has heard about the Next Big Thing in mobile: wearables like watches and activity bands. While Google Glass seems to have come and gone, and we about to feel the impact of Apple Watch, this trend is poised to be much bigger than smartphones worn as accessories. Adidas just announced they are releasing a range of shoes and other sportswear with built-in Near Field Communications (NFC) tage that connect to mobile devices and can do things like track how you use the shoe, or grant you exclusive entrance to a VIP line at a concert. The tech give Adidas to ability to know who is buying their products and to maintain direct links with them, bypassing retail outlets and other intermediaries. If successful, the company plans to weave these NFC tags into shirts and other clothing to engage customers with the brand. While this particular initiative may turn out to be a passing fad, the world of wearables is certainly just getting started.