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Everyone is talking about the new GO FlyEase hands-free shoe from Nike. The “easy off easy on” slip-on shoes do not require hands, making them accessible not only for people with disabilities but for everyone.
“At 16 years old, I can fully dress, but my parents still have to tie my shoes. As a teenager striving to be totally self-reliant, I find this extremely frustrating and sometimes embarrassing. “
These lines are from the letter written to Nike team in 2012 by Matthew walzer, then a 16 year old high school student. Walzer, who has cerebral palsy, was preparing for college and was eager to tie and untie his shoes.
Walzer’s letter landed on the desk of the renowned Nike designer Your hatfield, who works with Special Olympics in similar challenges and was designing for Paralympic athletes. Hatfield approached Walzer and began developing prototypes to address their specific needs.
In 2012, Hatfield and his team submitted a design to Walzer for testing, but they did not. Over the years, they refined the design by testing a number of laceless solutions ranging from velcro to zippers to cable dials. Hatfield also looked at existing Nike silhouettes, such as the Hyperdunk Y Zoom Soldier who lined up with Walzer’s favorite basketball player, Lebron James.
Easy to use features
That culminated in the launch of GO FlyEase this month, a wraparound zipper solution that opens up the back of the shoe near the heel, making it easy to slide the foot in and out. It also provides enough lockdown and eliminates the need to tie traditional laces.
In a statement, Nike said:
On the Nike Go FlyEase, this translates to offering the widest range of active lifestyles possible, whether the user is a fencing champion. Baby saw, a student running to class, or a parent with their hands full. – Nike
He saw, an Italian fencer who lost arms and legs to meningitis as a child and competes in a wheelchair, walks with prosthetic legs. Putting on shoes is often a time-consuming activity. FlyEase has changed that. “I usually spend a lot of time putting on my shoes.” With the Nike GO FlyEase, I just need to put my feet up and jump on it. Shoes are a new kind of technology, not just for adapted athletes but for everyone’s real life. “
Widely available later in 2021
GO FlyEase will be on sale starting February 15 for $ 120 for subscribers to the free membership program on the Nike website. There are plans to make them widely available later this year. Photos shared by Nike show three color options: a mostly black shoe with a dark blue accent; a shoe made in black, purple, orange, gray and blue stripes; and a shoe in light green, blue, pink and white.
What makes the GO FlyEase an innovative product is that it is truly inclusive. American Paralympic Athlete Sarah Reinertsen, a member of the FlyEase design team, said CBS News that people with disabilities, pregnant women and busy parents were among those who inspired the footwear concept.
“If you design for the most extreme needs, then you are benefiting everyone,” Reinertsen said. “If a shoe works for someone who has no hands, then it will work for people who have two hands.”
Take a look at some of the reactions from people on Twitter:
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