Go FlyEase / Nike
The Go FlyEase opens, takes the foot, and closes again with no hands involved. Two things make that work: a bi-stable hinge at the heel break that holds the shoe securely in either a fully open or a fully closed state, and a tensioner band wrapping the sole that keeps tension in both. Step down and it clicks shut; press the kickstand heel with the other foot and it springs open. It came out of Nike's FlyEase line, developed from 2015 with accessibility in mind and then released to everyone, which is the point: a solution designed for people with limited hand mobility turns out to work better for anyone putting on shoes. Underfoot it carries normal Nike cushioning and behaves like an ordinary lifestyle shoe once on.
Design intent
- +The bi-stable hinge gives the shoe two genuinely stable states, open and closed, rather than needing a continuous holding force, which is what makes hands-free entry actually work rather than half-work.
- +Designing around an action people already use, kicking a shoe off by the heel, turns an accessibility brief into a mechanism that serves the whole market, not just the group it began with.
The Go FlyEase opens, takes the foot, and closes again with no hands involved. Two things make that work: a bi-stable hinge at the heel break that holds the shoe securely in either a fully open or a fully closed state, and a tensioner band wrapping the sole that keeps tension in both. Step down and it clicks shut; press the kickstand heel with the other foot and it springs open. It came out of Nike's FlyEase line, developed from 2015 with accessibility in mind and then released to everyone, which is the point: a solution designed for people with limited hand mobility turns out to work better for anyone putting on shoes. Underfoot it carries normal Nike cushioning and behaves like an ordinary lifestyle shoe once on.
Design intent
- +The bi-stable hinge gives the shoe two genuinely stable states, open and closed, rather than needing a continuous holding force, which is what makes hands-free entry actually work rather than half-work.
- +Designing around an action people already use, kicking a shoe off by the heel, turns an accessibility brief into a mechanism that serves the whole market, not just the group it began with.
Trade-offs
- -It is laceless, so fit cannot be dialled in the way laces or a BOA allow; the upper has give, but very wide or narrow feet will not get a tailored hold.
- -The hinge-and-tensioner system optimises for getting in and out, not for athletic performance; this is a daily lifestyle shoe, and is correctly positioned as one.
