FLYING EASEFULLY WITH THE FIRST SNEAKER FROM NIKE THAT ALLOWS ANYONE TO SLIP ON HANDS-FREE
TEXT: SUTEE NAKARAKORNKUL
PHOTO COURTESY OF NIKE
(For Thai, press here)
The brand that seems to be off to a better start in the sports shoes industry in early 2021 has got to be Nike with the launch of Go FlyEase, the lace-less sneakers that can be worn and taken off without having to use your hands. It’s been said that this could be a major milestone in the development of footwear technology.
Go FlyEase boasts the ‘bi-stable hinge’ technology in which the outsole is designed to function similarly to a V-shaped hinge that connects the toe box and heel cup. The hinge works together with a big rubber band known as a ‘tensioner’ attached to the midsole. When a user takes off the shoes, the two parts of the mechanism raises the insole to an upright, 30-degree angle for a hand-free entry, allowing you to kick your shoes off from the heel, simultaneously activating the hinge to prop the insoles up and prepare the shoes for your next wear. “Most challenges come from the tension hinge. So when we create one size, it works perfectly, but when you start breaking, you still need to keep the aesthetic and design.”
The FlyEase takes inspiration from one of the letters that Martin Walzer, a 16-year-old with cerebral palsy, wrote the Nike in 2012, asking the company to develop shoes that cater to people with specific needs, in his case, the desire to tie his shoes independently due to the challenge caused by having flexibility in only one of his hands. That became the starting point for Nike’s acclaimed designer Tobie Hatfield, who has been an avid developer of shoes for people with special needs. The attempt gave birth to the FlyEase series with the ‘for people of all abilities concept’, debuting alongside with Zoom Soldier 8 FlyEase, the basketball shoes with a cutting-edge wraparound zipper system released in 2015. Nike continues the development with the brand’s training and lifestyle shoes such as the slip-on Air Max 90 FlyEase, Air Zoom Pegasus 37 FlyEase with the velcro closure and Air Zoom Tempo NEXT% FlyEase’s one-pull fit system and a collapsible step-in heel.
Besides the beautiful appearance and better wearability, Go Flyease is designed as casual footwear that is an ideal alternative for all users from people with disabilities, the elderly to pregnant women or whoever wants to wear sneakers but aren’t physically comfortable to bend forward and tie their shoelaces.
Nike Go FlyEase comes in three colors at quite an affordable price at THB 3,600 (USD 120). The shoes are available for Nike Members to purchase them on 15th February. It’s particularly interesting to see whether Nike Go FlyEase, with the design and functionality that ‘wows’ the sneaker heads at this price range, will be sufficient to the markets demands (not to mention the resell culture), considering that FlyEase’s initial target group is the actually people with disabilities. Guess we all have to wait and find out.