Nike’s New Hands-Free Sneaker Is Being Called a Win for Disability Design

"I believe everyone, no matter what their physical, economic, or social circumstances may be, deserves to call themselves an athlete, and deserves to have a sense of freedom and independence."

Nike introduced its first-ever hands-free sneaker, the Nike GO FlyEase, on February 1, and its origin can be traced back nearly a decade to when a boy with cerebral palsy wrote a letter to the company.

Matthew Walzer, now 25, was born two months premature, weighing only two pounds, 14 ounces. His lungs were not fully developed, and so his brain did not receive enough oxygen. This lack of oxygen led to brain injury that resulted in cerebral palsy, a group of disorders that affect a person's movement, balance, and posture, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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