Go FlyEase; Nike launches its first new hands-free shoe
Nike is unveiling its first pair of slip-on sneakers without laces, hoping to enjoy some of the same momentum that rivals like Crocs and Vans have seen during the pandemic, as more consumers gravitate toward comfortable, no-fuss footwear.
The “Go FlyEase” shoe is marketed as not requiring hands to put on and take off. The company said it was inspired in part by Asian cultures, where it’s customary to remove shoes before entering a home. The debut also comes at a time when people are more conscious of not touching dirty surfaces, like the bottom of shoes.
“This shoe really responds to our current-day situation living in these Covid times,” Sarah Reinertsen, manager of FlyEase Innovation at Nike, said 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.
A band wraps around the top of the shoe, and snaps into place once the foot is inside, since there aren’t any laces to help with tightening. The biggest issue with slip-on shoes, for many consumers, tends to be getting them to fit tight enough around the foot.
Go FlyEase is part of Nike’s FlyEase line of running, soccer and basketball sneakers that are said to be easier to wear and fit feet better. Nike has been working on FlyEase innovations for about five years — including shoes that zip up the side and a pair with a pull-cord at the back to tighten the shoe around the heel.
“We have been using laces for a long time,” Reinertsen said about Nike’s decision to go without them. “But ... a lot of times [people] are trying to work around those laces, they’re trying to use one foot to anchor the shoe and slip out. Laces are kind of a hassle. We wanted to make shoes easier for everybody.”
These look nothing like a pair of rubber Crocs, though, if that’s what you had in mind. For a slip-on shoe, Nike’s version is quite unique and complex. When it’s not being worn, the Go FlyEase sits in an open position. A separate foot-bed platform, detached from the base of the shoe, moves up and down, thanks to a hinge that’s constructed into the bottom.
The new sneakers will be available to select Nike members in its largest markets at a retail price of $120, starting Feb. 15. Later, the shoes will be sold more broadly.
