Nike’s Limited ‘Go FlyEase’ Release Leaves Disabled Community Concerned

What was meant to be an inclusive launch by Nike has proven to be anything but. Instead, the Go FlyEase was scooped up by resellers and is now selling much higher than retail.

The Go FlyEase, Nike’s first hands-free sneaker, was praised for its accessibility. However, it was scheduled for a limited release. The shoe, which retailed for $120, is now listed on reseller sites for as much as $2,000.

Sneakerheads are familiar with this scenario. Every day a new shoe drops with the demand exceeding the supply, and it sells out in seconds, often times bought up by resellers looking to make money off them on the secondary market. The problem with the Go FlyEase is that the sneaker was designed to make it easier for people with disabilities. Through a tensioner, which functions like a rubber band above the midsole, the shoe can open up like a joint, allowing the wearer to step in. This eliminates having to bend over, tie laces, or otherwise adjust the sneaker to put it on.

One critic of the shoe’s release, 19-year-old Louie Lingard, called it “performative activism.” If Nike really wanted to help, they would manufacture pairs of the shoe for hospitals or places that work with people with disabilities. The sneaker giant would also have made more, so supply could keep up with demand. 

“The shoe itself has been so hyped up and praised for its inclusiveness and its accessibility for people like myself with a disability that it’s become limited, and resellers and bots have got ahold of all the pairs and gouged the price up,” Lingard said in a viral TikTok video. “Now, if someone with a disability that actually needs the shoe for the design purpose wants it, they’re gonna have to pay on the up end of $500 to get it.”

https://www.tiktok.com/@notlewy/video/6957434333829369094?sender_device=pc&sender_web_id=6958590535792608773&is_from_webapp=v1&is_copy_url=0

A spokesperson for the sneaker giant told the outlet there are plans for a broader release of the shoe sometime this year.  

“The response to Nike Go FlyEase was incredibly positive,” the Nike spokesperson said. “Due to overwhelming demand, we are unable to serve all of our members at this time. More units and additional colorways of the shoe will be available this year.”