Although the Nike Go FlyEase was overwhelmingly well-received by the public, Crocs has something to say about the discussion surrounding the shoes.
Yesterday, Bleacher Report Kicks tweeted “Nike unveils the Nike Go FlyEase, the first ever hands-free shoe” with an image of the shoes. The Crocs account responded without words, only sharing a gif of a confused Britney Spears.
https://t.co/yXNkoNXS5c pic.twitter.com/4o2iZslEjR
— Crocs Shoes (@Crocs) February 1, 2021
Responding to FN’s request for comment, Crocs applauded Nike’s efforts but took issue with the Go FlyEase being deemed the first hands-free shoe.
“We’re thrilled that Nike is bringing a more accessible shoe to market. As a brand that’s offered an accessible, easy on/off product for nearly 20 years, Crocs believes that everyone has the right to be comfortable in their own shoes. While they’re certainly not the first to bring a ‘hands-free’ shoe to market, we truly hope they’re not the last,” Crocs said in a statement emailed to FN.
Nike did not respond to FN’s request for comment by time of publication.
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Dozens of Twitter users criticized Crocs’ post, mostly signaling that they found it insensitive given that Nike’s Go FlyEase is an adaptive shoe that targets differently-abled people. “Crocs: hands-free and taste-free,” user @TwittsMcGee wrote in a quote retweet.
And user @FischKicks noted, “This ain’t it. Shade on enabling the disabled? Probably not the tweet you were going for.”
However, not all retweets were against Crocs. “LOLLL i was thinking the same thing… very much Croc-ish,” wrote @lyricalbert of the Nike Go FlyEase sneaker.
Crocs: hands-free and taste-free https://t.co/dkjuWifeu8
— Yung Oat Milk (@TwittsMcGee) February 2, 2021
LOLLL i was thinking the same thing… very much croc-ish https://t.co/3gU9i6L76D
— lyric (@lyricalbert) February 2, 2021
Yesterday, Nike unveiled the Go FlyEase, a hands-free sneaker equipped with a Bi-stable Hinge added to keep the shoe securely open when putting it on and to keep it closed when worn. It also features a kickstand heel that the brand says “mimics the action many intuitively perform to kick off their shoes, but by design and without compromising the heel;” a diving board that was added to maintain “a continuous foot-bed for comfort and stability;” and a tensioner band that holds the shoe open and closed.
The Nike Go FlyEase will launch for Nike Members on Feb. 15 and a wider release will follow this year. The shoe is priced at $143.
The FlyEase journey started in 2012 when Nike designer Tobie Hatfield began working with Matthew Walzer, a college student with Cerebral Palsy who overcame several physical limitations throughout his life but still had challenges tying his shoes. Three years later, the brand would release the Zoom Soldier 8 FlyEase, featuring its new easy-entry shoe system.
