Nike Creates First Fully Hands-Free Shoe

Shookt!!! This is so lit!, just bolt right in your shoes with minimal hand use.

American athlete apparel maker Nike has released its first mostly “hands-free” sneakers, in a bid to revolutionize footwear that will be easier to get into.

Nike’s “GO FlyEase” aimed to expand its selection of easy on and off shoes, catering to people always on the go and professional athletes, according to the brand’s website.

The Washington County-based sportswear giant for several years has been developing hands-free technology for athletes with physical limitations.

The technology behind the shoes involves a “bi-stable hinge” which allows for the shoe’s smooth motion, enabling it to be “secure in fully open and fully closed states.”

Using a bi-stable hinge in the shoe’s midsole, the Nike GO FlyEase can transition from the open—or “ready”—position to the closed—or “set”—position simply by stepping in and down on the footbed. To open the shoe back up, step on the heel’s ledge with the opposite foot, and the hinge releases to allow the foot to slide out.

“We kept wanting to create something new and different,” says Sarah Reinertsen, the project’s design lead, the first woman to finish the Ironman World Championships on a prosthetic leg and a world-record holder for the ironman triathlon. “If we could create something you didn’t need hands to get in and out of, it could help unlock those benefits for all.”

“This shoe really responds to our current-day situation living in these Covid times,” Sarah added in an interview. “This is actually an innovation that has been cooking up in our innovation kitchen for a little while … but it just came out right at the right time, when we needed it more than ever.”

The product builds on previous Nike sustainability efforts and shows Nike wants to incorporate its most cutting-edge environmentally-friendly technology in on-court shoes. It also shows continued consumer demand for greener products.

The shoe is releasing in limited quantities to members of the Nike membership community and will more broadly release later this year.

The Go FlyEase is priced at $120 USD which is available in 3 models for now: Nike Air Zoom Tempo Next%, AirMax 90, and VaporMax. It will be up on Nike.com for members on February 15th, with a wider rollout throughout spring.

Nike this week also unveiled the Cosmic Unity, a performance basketball shoe made with “at least 25% recycled content by weight.”