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Hands Free Nike trainers 

Nike has unveiled its first completely hands-free trainer: the Nike Go FlyEase. Nike FlyEase is an easy-entry footwear system designed by Tobie Hatfield that was originally launched in 2015. Over the last half decade, Nike experimented with a variety of no-lace solutions ranging from Velcro to zippers to cable dials before launching its first hands-free sneaker - but the inspiration for this "accessible and empowering design" came from a letter written to the company in 2012.

In 2012, Matthew Walzer - a 16-year-old with Cerebral Palsy - contacted Nike, telling them that it was his dream to go to college without worrying about someone having to tie his shoelaces day in and day out. Mr Walzer was born two months premature, with under-developed lungs that led to Cerebral Palsy, according to Nike. While he overcame many physical obstacles, tying his own shoelaces remained a challenge.

The teen's letter inspired Tobie Hatfield to create a shoe that would address his specific need. In 2012, Nike delivered a Hatfield design to Mr Walzer for wear testing, but Mr Hatfield continued to work on designing shoes to help other people with special needs. This journey led to the development of Nike FlyEase - a range of no-lace footwear launched in 2015.

In February 2021, Nike released the Go FlyEase. Nike’s new hands-free trainers was designed with accessibility in mind, allowing the wearer to put on and take off the shoe without the using their hands. By creating a bi-stable hinge that enables the shoe to be secure in fully open and fully closed states and a tensioner that mimics the motion of kicking off a shoe makes getting in and out of the Go FlyEase easy for everyone – removing the need for laces, Velcro or hand dexterity. 

The Nike Go FlyEase will initially be available via invite for select Nike Members via their apps (Nike and SNKRS), with a broader consumer availability planned for later this year. 

For more information on Go FlyEase, click here: 

Alternatively, if you need further information on how to make facilities or services  more accessible and inclusive, please do not hesitate to contact one of our team on (01) 415 12 85 or e-mail [email protected].