Matthew Walzer was a 16 year-old boy with Cerebral Palsy when he wrote a letter to Nike back in 2012 asking why they had never released any athletic sneakers for people who have disabilities.

All these years later, his letter has paid off with the release of the Nike GO FlyEase.

Nike has unveiled their first hands-free shoe: the Nike GO FlyEase. pic.twitter.com/FZeKDTPUcf

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) February 1, 2021

Matthew had struggled all his life with tying his shoes, so he decided to pen a letter to Nike explaining that it was his lifelong dream to go off to college without having to worry about someone having tie his shoes every day.

“My dream is to go to the college of my choice without having to worry about someone coming to tie my shoes every day,” Matthew 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.”

Nike designer Tobie Hatfield was so touched by the letter that he worked with Matthew directly in designing the shoe.

“I worked with Matthew just as I would with any athlete. He was an absolute pleasure to work with,” Tobie said.

Matthew admitted that he was stunned to be contacted by Tobie, as he never expected a response from Nike when he sent the letter.

“I knew what I was doing was, in football terms, ‘a Hail Mary,’ and to be quite honest I had very low expectations,” Matthew explained. “I was expecting a very polite letter back in recognition of my request. There are not enough ‘thank yous’ in the world to express my undying gratitude.”

In 2012, Nike delivered a design of Tobie’s to Matthew for him to wear for testing.

“Your talented team of designers has thoughtfully created a shoe that, for the first time in my life, I can put on myself,” Matthew said at the time. “When I put the shoes on every morning, they give the greatest sense of independence and accomplishment I have ever felt in my life.”

Tobie was not done yet, however, and he has spent the years since perfecting his design to finally make the Nike GO FlyEase.

“In talking to Matthew and many other athletes with disabilities, the ease of entry was just as important as the lacing solution,” Tobie said. “While varying levels of mobility make it difficult to provide a universal solution, we feel this is a significant development for anyone who has ever struggled with independently securing their foot within Nike shoes.”

Matthew has fulfilled his dreams of going to college, and he loves wearing his custom Zoom Soldier 8 FlyEase kicks all over campus.

The Nike GO FlyEase is currently available only through via invite for select Nike Members, with broader consumer availability planned for later in 2021. Find out more about this shoe in the video below.