There’s nothing more satisfying than kicking off your sneakers after a long run or hard day’s work… But Nike has told off its customers for doing just that.
The sportswear giant and prized sneaker purveyor recently shared a video made in collaboration with marathon runner and Nike EKIN (that’s what Nike calls some of their brand ambassadors/employees) Joe Micheli where he shows you how to ‘properly’ take off your runners.
“Unlace them first… doing so will help your shoes last for as long as possible,” they say. It’s part of their ‘Move To Zero’ sustainability campaign. Good on them for trying to extend the life of their products rather than just encouraging us to buy more sneakers, but I don’t know… There’s something deeply satisfying about kicking off your creps without unlacing them. It just hits different.
Of course, Nike has actually come up with a sneaker that’s actually designed to be put on and off like this. The Nike GO Flyease is a ‘hands-free sneaker’ created with accessibility in mind that features a unique “bi-stable hinge” that, when you kick the shoe off, locks into place for easy re-entry. Then, when you step in, the shoe forms itself around your feet.
It’s a deceptively simple design that takes advantage of the natural way people slide into or kick off their shoes – even the box design lets you put the shoes on without using your hands. We reckon it’s also the perfect pandemic sneaker: in this age of hyper-vigilance and hand sanitiser, not having to touch your grubby shoes seems rather alluring.
RELATED: From Ugly To Awesome: Nike’s ‘Pandemic Proof’ Sneaker Is A Touch Of Genius
Alternatively, just go full ‘concrete cowboy’ and wear R.M. Williams boots everywhere. No laces, no worries…
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