Think you've seen it all in New York City? Shoppers on Fifth Avenue froze when a humanoid robot walked into the Hoka store and tried on sneakers. 

The sleek Unitree R1 wasn't just out for a stroll. It starred in a high-profile stunt promoting KraneShares' new artificial intelligence and robotics ETF.

Passersby watched in disbelief as the KOID-branded robot posed for selfies, grabbed a hot dog and browsed the shoe racks.

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$5,900 UNITREE R1 ROBOT IS SURPRISINGLY AFFORDABLE

From Nasdaq to Fifth Avenue

The KOID robot is built by Chinese robotics firm Unitree, with software from Stanford's OpenMind. Supplied by Long Island-based RoboStore, the robot had already made headlines earlier in the week by ringing the Nasdaq opening bell.

Although it was remote-controlled during this Manhattan stroll, the R1 is fully programmable and already used in research labs and universities. The Hoka sneaker trial was all part of a larger rollout for the KraneShares Global Humanoid and Embodied Intelligence Index ETF, which launched in June and has already pulled in $28 million in investments.

Why this Unitree humanoid robot matters

Humanoids like the R1 are more than viral photo ops. They represent a shift toward machines that can move, interact and adapt in human environments. The Morgan Stanley Global Humanoid Model predicts there could be 1 billion humanoid robots generating $5 trillion in annual revenue by 2050. That future may seem far away, but moments like this show just how close we might be.

WHAT IS ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)?

What this means for you

Seeing a robot casually shopping in Manhattan is a preview of the technology that could be serving customers, assisting in retail or even running errands in the near future. Companies are investing heavily in humanoid robotics, and the line between novelty and necessity is getting thinner. If robots like the Unitree R1 can handle real-world environments today, imagine what they'll be capable of in a few short years.

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Kurt's key takeaways

A sneaker-shopping robot may sound like a publicity stunt, and it is, but it's also a snapshot of how AI-powered machines are stepping into everyday life. The big question isn't if you'll encounter a humanoid robot in your neighborhood, but when.

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