Nike Fuelband Points Could End Up Getting You Free Stuff

Wearables are booming, but some still can't find motivation to slap a wristband on. Though they (mostly) do a more than adequate job of tracking your health stats, there isn't much else to the process. Nike has unveiled a clever way of getting folks interested in wearables, dangling the socks carrot out there for us to grab.

Vending machines, chock full of Nike stuff, have been placed around New York City. You can't pay for the items inside, though — only Fuelband points will get you goodies. You won't get a new pair of kicks out of the deal, but if you're trekking around the city for a day, you might end up with some decent swag.

Reports indicate that you can get a free pair of socks or shirt, and that the vending machines only count your Fuelband points for the day — not via accretion. Socks, shirts, hats — you know, stuff you find cheap at a Nike Store — are what you can find here. Nike is also said to be moving them around the city overnight, encouraging a scavenger hunt of sorts.

As Fuelband becomes a platform rather than just a clunky device, this kind of motivational tactic has legs. If Nike were to do this everywhere, it could spark interest in their platform for the average consumer. It's unclear where Nike might take this, or even if they will. Currently, it's nothing more than a social media scavenger hunt, but if walking to a vending machine ends up getting you free stuff, everyone wins.

Via: TechCrunch