Humans have been tying laces for millennia. The Areni-1 shoe, often cited as the world’s oldest leather shoe, was found in an Armenian cave in 2010 and the radiocarbon dates back to 3500 BC. C., and even that old moccasin was tied in front and behind with what scientists assume was a leather cord. And although many shoe designers have tried in the past to create a shoe with velcro, zippers, and other safety measures, lacing has endured. Nike may have taken a step forward to challenge the dominance of lace.
Laces have been around for so long largely because no one has come up with anything better. Lace offers something that a clasp, velcro (to some extent) and zipper can’t compete with: a personal touch. A shoe expertly laced, tight and loose in the right places is a work of art. One study even found
that a well-laced shoe, compared to an elastic closure, may prevent running injuries in some people.
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Nike has been working on this for years with its Adapt technology which uses a lacing system that electronically adapts to the shape of the wearer’s foot and its FlyEase technology originally developed for athletes whose conditions make lacing their shoes more difficult. But both functions require manual adjustment to activate them. Today, Nike announced a new shoe that uses new shoe technology that attempts to take that extra step: the GO FlyEase, an indoor and outdoor walking shoe that eliminates all lacing, technical adjustments and modifications.
The shoe’s technology is based on a bistable hinge, a patent-pending design that is integrated into the sole of the shoe. The hinge alternates between an “on” and “off” position. Without the foot on the inside, the shoe rests in the off position, making it look like the outsole has been inverted or even broken. Put your foot in the shoes and it will quickly lock into the walking position. To hold the shoe in both positions, a tensioner wraps around the outside of the shoe, providing the fit and support that would normally go to laces.
Contrary to what it might seem, the bistable hinge doesn’t split the shoe in half, but rather splits the sole, according to Sarah Reinertsen, lead designer of the GO FlyEase at Nike.
When designing the shoe, Reinertsen says the design team used their years of research to develop the original FlyEase, which used zippers and other ties to make the laces easier and more secure. But when designing the new GO FlyEase, the team knew they wanted to eliminate any need to use their hands. “If we could create something that if someone with no hands could put their shoes on, we could unleash these benefits for everyone.”
Perhaps its biggest draw to shoe wearers around the world is the shoe removal process. Nike was inspired by the common method of using the sole of the foot to hold the opposing shoe while pulling the heel.
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I haven’t tried the shoe on yet, so it’s hard to say how easy this process will be and how safe my foot will feel inside. He has a fierce fight against the humble lace, which has not yet failed us. But at $ 120 a pair, the shoe isn’t that expensive that I wouldn’t hesitate to try it on. Nike says the new shoes are designed for everyday use, whether it’s going to the grocery store or going for a casual walk with friends. When asked if this technology would be used for other shoes specially designed for activities such as running or basketball, Nike said there is no current plan, but no did not rule out the question. It wouldn’t be much different for the shoe company to promote new technology for everyday use and then integrate it into its other shoe lines. An example of this is the React foam that Nike debuted in its Epic React shoe in 2018 for everyday athletes and is now used in other running shoes such as the Nike Air Zoom Tempo Next% 2020.
The GO FlyEase shoe will be available to select Nike members from February 15 and will be available more widely in the coming months.