With $720 Self-Tying Sneaker, Nike Loosens Ties to Retailers

WSJ ^

[Red in Blue PA]

Nike Inc. this week begins selling a pricey sneaker with self-tying laces, a high-stakes test of the company’s technology investments and efforts to sell more products directly to consumers.

Since its founding, Nike has predominantly been a wholesaler. But as shopping shifts online, Nike is moving to lessen its reliance on retailers. It wants to double its direct sales to consumers to $16 billion by 2020, particularly as rivals Adidas AG and Under Armour Inc. have become more competitive in recent years.

That is where the self-lacing $720 HyperAdapt sneakers play a role. The company is offering the shoes exclusively on its relaunched Nike+ app and at a new retail store in New York City, beginning on Thursday. The idea is to hook consumers into buying via its app or visiting Nike stores for limited-edition sneaker releases, which to date has been a near-weekly phenomenon at Foot Locker and other retailers.

[metmom]

They are necessary for the two-year old’s day “care” centers, where adult-child ratio is so low and no biological connections—once the Natural Family is replaced, like in Brave New World, so the State can control every single “idea” that a child has about “reality” (Truth (God)).

Velcro works just as well.

I bought my kids Velcro sneakers until they learned to tie themselves.

I figured I wasn't going to waste 15 minutes every time we went somewhere just tying sneakers, and then untold hours a day retying them.

I'd just toss the kids their sneakers and tell them to put them on themselves. I figured that kind of independence was more important than them tying their shoes on their own by a certain age.

To help them get them on the right feet, I put little smilie faces on the inside edges of the outside of the soles so when the kids put their feet together, the smilie faces would be smiling at each other. Then they knew they were on the correct feet.

And they did learn to tie their shoes.

[metmom]

I’ve noticed that has been a problem among young people.

[GSWarrior]

In related news, SeanJohn announced it is discontinuing its line of self-pulling-up pants.

[Jack Hammer]

Ah, yes - the self-tying sneaker, for those who really, really can’t be bothered to tie their own shoes - or don’t know how.

[pa_dweller]

Might be useful for folks with fewer than two hands.

[left that other site]

Well, it was cool until it was time to recharge the battery. Then it stopped working. Gibson realized its error and would replace it with a regular Les Paul, but this was my AXE we’re talking about!

The Luthier did a magnificent job.