From Disability Scoop:
“Nike
Unveils Hands-Free Sneakers For Those With Special Needs”
With an eye
toward making shoes even more accessible to people with disabilities, Nike is
introducing a sneaker that can be taken on and off completely hands-free. The
shoe known as the Nike GO FlyEase is part of Nike’s FlyEase collection of
adaptive styles. Building on how a person might kick off a shoe, Nike designers
incorporated a bi-stable hinge and a tensioner — which works like a big rubber
band — to allow the shoe to smoothly open and close, remaining secure in both
positions. Designers said the product came about to better serve people with
disabilities but ultimately could be handy for anyone who’s got their hands
full. “Usually I spend so much time to get in my shoes,” said Bebe Vio, a
Paralympic wheelchair fencer. “With the Nike GO FlyEase, I just need to put my
feet in and jump on it. The shoes are a new kind of technology, not only for
adaptive athletes but for everyone’s real life.”
Existing
FlyEase designs use zippers and other modifications to make it easier to enter
and exit shoes, but the new style is the first that’s hands-free. The lineup of
accessible designs originated in 2015 after Nike heard from a teenager with
cerebral palsy who wanted to be able to put his shoes on independently. The
Nike GO FlyEase will initially be offered to certain Nike Members by invitation
before becoming more broadly available later this year, the company said.
^ It’s so nice
to see a completely accessible shoe since there are so many elderly and disabled
that have trouble with shoes. ^
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