Nike launched its first fully hands-free shoe, the GO FlyEase.
Video transcription
SEANA SMITH: Let’s talk about retail. It’s a big debut going on. Nike launching a new shoe. Well, this is a non slip shoe, but it does have a little twist. We want to bring Reggie Wade to all of these details, and who really has the shoe here for us. Reggie.
REGGIE WADE: Yes, Seana, thank you. One of the things I miss most about homework, besides seeing everyone smiling in the newsroom, is unpacking. We used to take these big shoes, we used to put them on the table and really take a peek, get a good look at them. But we will do this virtually. So, I have the new Nike GO Flyease. It is Nike’s first fully hands-free shoe. And here you have them.
And what really stands out in relation to other shoes that can be considered slip-on, is that there is this thing called bistable hinge. You see that this is the open position of the shoe. So you put your foot in, and then it just clicks into place. And then when you want to get out of them, you use this support back here, put your foot on it and boom, it opens immediately.
This is the latest Flyease design from Nike. Flyease, of course, was designed in 2015 to help people with disabilities get in and out of their shoes. And this is the next generation. And I have to tell you, rarely as many shoes as I look, you see a shoe and say, wow, I’m really amazed. But this is really impressive. This is surprising me.
ADAM SHAPIRO: Hey, Reggie, I’m going to date myself here, because I can go back to the original Vans in “Fast Times at Ridgemont High”. You mentioned helping people who may have a disability. But also, for whom is this who? Is it for Spicoli for Mr. Hand? Is it for someone young or old, the teacher?
REGGIE WADE: It’s for everyone. I talked to a lot of people at Nike, especially the design team, and they said their goal was to make shoes for anyone. Someone with a disability for an Olympic athlete. At first, when you look at the silhouette, it looks more like a running silhouette. And Nike people said it was seen as a running shoe.
But you can do many different things with these shoes. And even about. Professional fencers even wear these shoes. And I think a good guess is that there are no laces here. That’s why I think it lends itself to many different sports. You don’t have to worry about tripping over those laces. And they really do have the Nike Zoom in here on the heel, and that gives excellent comfort.
SEANA SMITH: Reggie, I was going to say, when I first saw these shoes, I wasn’t really convinced that I should be excited about this. But you are helping. Now I’m a little more convinced that this is something that could be a huge success for Nike going forward. But I’m just curious to hear your opinion as we take a step back and take a look at Nike and how it has fared in the past few months.
In fact, he was able to withstand the pandemic relatively well. I think, from your point of view, what do you think has been the strengths for the reasons why we saw this superior performance at Nike? Also, where the company could see that success in the future.
REGGIE WADE: Well, Seana, this is a double. It’s technology, technology like that. And it is also direct technology to the consumer. Nike really said, listen, we want to make a direct-to-consumer business model that is unmatched. So when you go to Nike stores, they simply incorporate many different features. Right now at your new Nike by Eugene store, you can come in and actually pick up a product and send it straight from the store. So you don’t have to go online again. You can send directly from the store to wherever you want.
So Nike is really saying that listening, direct to the consumer, is our goal. And they are really pushing the envelope. And frankly, they are doing it better than anyone now.
ADAM SHAPIRO: Reggie, that shoe took me by surprise, because I have the disease of a middle-aged man. When I throw my back out, this thing is going to be a godsend. I am curious, however, in 10 years will we have this shoe as a collector’s item? Is it the kind of thing that would get collectors excited?
REGGIE WADE: You know what? This remains to be seen. As a tennis head, I’m kind of enjoying this. I always liked the unique things. I asked the people at Nike, is this going to be the future? Will we see this technology in a Jordan shoe or in another type of Zoom, another type of shoe? And they said, you know, we don’t want to give anything, but we can. I think this is based on the integration or not of another technology. If this becomes too common, I don’t think it would be a collector’s item. But if this is as far as they go with it, I definitely think.
SEANA SMITH: Reggie, two-part question here. Um, if I lose the price, how much do these shoes cost? And two, is this something that Nike is just aiming for here in the US or is it more of a global marketing event specifically with this shoe?
REGGIE WADE: This shoe sells for $ 120. And now, February 1st, it is on sale. But only for selected Nike members. And this is through the Nike app. Later this spring, they will have a more worldwide release.
SEANA SMITH: Okay, Reggie Wade giving us all the details we need to know about the new Nike sneaker. Okay, Reggie Wade, thank you so much for joining.
Originally published