Nike announces their simple, but different, first-ever hands-free sneaker

Nike have produced a laceless, slip on hands-free sneaker that writes a new chapter in the brand’s footwear development.
The Nike GO FlyEase has been designed to be accessible, as the latest release from the Swoosh’s FlyEase department. An instructional video below can also be found on how to put on and take off the sneaker with the shoe’s functions using the traditional kicking action many of us use to get in and slide out of our trainers – meaning that there is no need to use your hands.
What Nike describes as a “bi-stable hinge” and a “midsole tensioner”, allows sneakerheads to move in (“kick down”) and slide out (kick up”) of the shoes with ease.

The initial idea behind the Nike GO FlyEase was to help people with disabilities, but this latest evolution in footwear technology can help anyone that wears shoes. “We talked to women who were in their third trimester of pregnancy and bending over is not so easy,” says Nike FlyEase designer and Paralympic triathlete Sarah Reinertsen as quoted by Highsnobiety. “But this innovation makes it easier for her to kick on and kick off her shoes.” This is particularly helpful when carrying items without dropping anything or if you’re in a rush and on the go. Just from looking at the design of the shoes, they do come across as fragile and unstable, particularly around the center of the midsole. Reinertsen answered these questions relating to durability: “This Tensioner Band is made out of something we’ve used for our outsoles. “We’re applying it in a new way, but we still put it through rigorous wear-testing. We’re also doing it on machines, which put it through the ringer more than a human can.” Nike are confident that the GO FlyEase will pass the test in terms of durability, but they couldn’t specify how long the sneakers were expected to last. According to Highsnobiety, most high-end running shoes are expected to last between 300 and 500 miles before it’s recommended to replace them. However, the GO FlyEase is no running shoe so it’s anyone’s guess as to how much life there is in this unique model. The bi-stable hinge has proved to be the biggest challenge Nike faced in the development of the GO FlyEase, according to Reinertsen, with the technology being in the works since the FlyEase has existed for over five years. “We have things in our innovation space and in our pipeline that we don’t always come out with right away,” explains Reinertsen. “You try one footbed and it might not have held down