Nike has announced the upcoming launch of its GO FlyEase, the brand’s first hands-free sneaker. Since 2015, Nike has released accessible performance shoes under its FlyEase line, and the new GO FlyEase takes things a step further. The new sneaker does not replace laces with a zipper and strap, rather, thanks to the bistable hinge and midsole tensioner, you simply step into the shoe and the hinge and tensioner take over from there to snap the sneaker into position. Then, to remove the shoe, Nike played off the gesture we all make instinctively: Scraping your toe on your opposite heel. GO shoes feature an extra back platform dubbed the “kickstand heel” specifically to make doffing the shoe easier and hands-free. And as you slip off the shoe, it is automatically unhinged back into the ready position.
While the Nike GO FlyEase will resonate with anyone who would like to slip into their shoes with more ease, it is also made for people who have difficulty tying their laces — that could be anyone from a person with special needs or an older adult with arthritic hands – this universal design is an indication of where Nike is headed in the future. Nike will not commit to whether GO technology will come to dedicated basketball, running, and other shoes at this time, but the brand has not shut down that possibility either. The Nike GO FlyEase will be available initially via invite for select Nike Members, with broader consumer availability planned for later this year.
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