Tying your shoes is one of the most elementary tasks. But for Matthew Walzer, a teen with cerebral palsy, it is a difficult challenge.

Three years ago, the 16-year-old Florida high schooler reached out to the Nike for some help. Matthew wrote a letter to the company, explaining that as the result of having cerebral palsy, he’s not able to tie shoes. They came through big time.

His letter inspired Nike to design a new pair of shoes he could lace up without someone else’s assistance – Nike Flyease.

Video frame – Youtube

These new shoes from Nike are pretty sweet, both in form and function.

Video frame – Youtube

Here’s a portion of his letter:

Nike invited Matthew to come in and check out the final version of the Flyease shoes, which, as Matthew notes in the video below, is great because it’s a shoe that works just as well even for people who aren’t limited to using just one hand for putting on shoes.

Because they listened, Nike created a product designed for the needs of a smaller community that also has mass appeal, and helped solve a problem that they maybe didn’t even know existed.

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