Nike Creates Sneaker For Those With Disabilities
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- July 15, 2015
Photo: Nike
Nike has been making a splash the past few months for their genius moves. From signing with the NBA to become the sport’s exclusive activewear designer to Phil Knight stepping down after decades at the helm — Nike is actively building for the next 100 years.
The Beaverton, Oregon company recently developed a new shoe aimed to help people with disabilities and other physical limitations feel comfortable and look confident. The laceless LeBron Zoom Soldier 8 Flyease was designed by Nike’s Tobie Hatfield, son of Nike legend Tinker Hatfield, and inspired by Matthew Walzer, a teenager with cerebral palsy. The shoe offers an easy slip-in way to put on the shoes, while still providing ample ankle support.
To think, all this stemmed from Walzer’s letter.
As he was preparing to enter into his junior year of high school in 2012, Matthew wrote an extremely touching letter to Nike, detailing his fears about going off to college without being able to tie his shoes on his own:
“My dream is to go to the college of my choice without having to worry about someone coming to tie my shoes every day,” he wrote. “I’ve worn Nike basketball shoes all my life. I can only wear this type of shoe, because I need ankle support to walk. At 16 years old, I am able to completely dress myself, but my parents still have to tie my shoes. As a teenager who is striving to become totally self-sufficient, I find this extremely frustrating and, at times, embarrassing,” the letter read.
The letter got into the right hands, as Tobie Hatfield immediately sat down with the teen to develop a prototype for a shoe Matthew and other people with disabilities could wear comfortably. “When we say, ‘If you have a body, you’re an athlete,’ that means everybody,” Hatfield says in the video below.
The Zoom Soldier 8 features Flyease technology, which is essentially a zipper that goes around the heel of the shoe. This enables the wearer to easily pull the shoe on and off with one hand. Utilizing the same specs as Matthew Walzer’s favorite player, LeBron James, the Zoom Soldier 8 Flyease is slated to make those with disabilities happier to rock Nike.
Three years after Matthew sent in his letter to Nike, the now-sophomore in college even got a chance to meet his idol who spoke to the company’s power of creation. “Matthew inspired us at Nike to be able to bring something special that will not only be for himself for also for the masses,” LeBron James said.
The LeBron Zoom Soldier 8 Flyease sneaker will be available for purchase on July 16, and Nike will also be sending these shoes to two basketball teams competing in the Special Olympics.
Watch the cool video below and see the shoes up close on the next pages.
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