Last week’s discovery of a Nike patent filing for an automatic lacing system as seen in the film “Back To The Future II” caused quite the stir not only among sneakerheads but in tech and pop culture circles too. In a well-timed follow up, Blake Bevin, inventor of the “Power Laces” device, releases a version 2.0 of her original concept which garnered 1.4 million views on YouTube in less than a week last month. The new Power Laces 2.0 version conceals the bulky look and exterior of the initial prototype within the sole of the shoe for a look that more closely resembles something Marty McFly would have landed his feet into. Not only that, Bevin is attempting to take the concept to market with a current project funding on Kickstarter looking for $25,000 in seed money to take the device from her basement to your feet.

Speaking with Bevin by phone, she tells CounterKicks that a marketable version of the device would aim to be attached and “adaptable to any shoe” with the machinery of the Power Laces compact enough to be concealed in perhaps the heel of the shoe. Bevin also explains she has no official inventor background and the original concept was created for an art project contest, but sees various uses for the device both from technology/sneaker fans and also people with motor skill disabilities. If pledges through Kickstarter reach her goal of $25,000, a mass market device could be seen as early as within a year, with an ideal retail price of under $100 but more realistically “probably closer to $150″. Will Bevin beat Nike to the punch? Continue reading for a full video demonstration of Bess Bevin’s Power Laces 2.0 concept.