Hands-free shoes in the UK: Nike EasyOn, Skechers Slip-ins and Billy compared

How do hands-free shoes work?

Hands-free shoes let you step in without bending down, using one of three tricks: a heel that folds and springs back, a stiff heel shaped like a shoehorn, or a zip that opens the whole shoe.

• Collapsing heel. Nike's Air Force 1 '07 EasyOn has a flexible heel that collapses as you step in, then snaps back into place, Nike says. From the outside it looks like an ordinary Air Force 1.
• Moulded heel. Skechers Hands Free Slip-ins use a moulded heel panel and what Skechers calls a Heel Pillow. It stays upright while your foot slides past, then holds the back of your heel. Skechers compares it to a built-in shoehorn.
• Wrap-around zip. Billy Footwear's high tops have a zip that runs round the side and toe, so the upper flips open and a foot goes straight down onto the sole. The listing also mentions a lace-up closure; the zip is what opens the shoe.

Each suits different people. Collapsing and moulded heels need you to push your foot in with a bit of force and get your heel lined up. A zip needs hands once, to close it, but opens far wider. That helps with orthotics, feet that swell, or a child who will not point their toes.

What to look for in hands-free shoes

• The mechanism. Step-in heels for speed at the front door; a zip for the widest opening.
• Fit. A loose step-in shoe slips at the heel, which defeats the point. Nike says the EasyOn fits large and suggests half a size down. The Skechers Go Walk Flex Relish listing on Amazon UK flags that it is often returned for a loose fit, and it comes in narrow, regular and wide.
• Size range. Nike's women's EasyOn runs from UK 2.5 to 9.5. The Skechers Relish on Amazon UK runs from UK 2 to 11, depending on width. The Billy kids' listing covers UK child 10 to UK 6, and the adult one UK 6.5 to 13.5. The Skechers Bounder Pro runs from little kids' UK 9.5 to big kids' UK 6.
• Materials and washing. The Nike upper is leather. The Skechers Relish is synthetic and machine washable, with an air-cooled memory foam insole. The Billy high tops are canvas. The Skechers Bounder Pro has a mesh and synthetic upper and is machine washable.
• Returns. Nike offers free 30-day returns, and the Amazon listings we checked allow returns within 30 days. Try them indoors first, on carpet, so they stay returnable.

Hands-free shoes compared

Price is worth watching on the Skechers. The Amazon price we saw was well under the under £75 RRP on that listing, and the adult Slip-ins we saw on Skechers' own UK site ran from £70 to £105. Children's Slip-ins there ran from £35 to £65 in the styles we saw. For adults who need the full zip, the Billy adult high top is under £100 on Amazon UK, the only adult shoe here that opens right up.

Hands-free shoes for children

For children, Billy's zip-open design is the most forgiving, and Skechers makes Slip-ins in girls' and boys' ranges too.

Children often scrunch their toes or refuse to push, which is where step-in heels struggle. A zip that opens the whole upper avoids the wrestle altogether. Billy is a US brand. In the UK its high tops are sold on Amazon by SpecialKids.Company, in children's and adult sizes, and the kids' listing had only five ratings when we checked. Billy's own site lists AFO-friendly options for children who wear ankle-foot orthoses.

Skechers UK lists Hands Free Slip-ins for girls and boys as well as adults. The boys' Bounder Pro we picked is about £40, with stretch laces so there is nothing to tie, and Skechers lists a girls' version at the same price. We did not find a children's EasyOn or FlyEase shoe on Nike's UK FlyEase page on 11 September 2026.

For school, check the footwear rule before you buy. The Billy high top comes in an all-black colourway on the Amazon listing, and the Skechers Relish comes in black, but a canvas high top or a trainer may not pass a strict uniform policy. The rule on branded uniform items does not cover shoes like these, so this is between you and the school.

Things to know

• Hands-free means you do not need your hands to put them on. You may still need to sit down, hold a rail or use your other foot to steady the heel.
• Try them with the socks you actually wear. A thicker or seamless sock changes the fit, and a step-in shoe has little room to spare.
• A heel designed to collapse takes a lot of pressure. Use it the way the maker intends, stepping in and letting it spring back, rather than crushing it flat and wearing it like a slipper.
• Step-in shoes and a morning routine go together. Leave them in the same spot by the door, heels facing you, and the hands-free part actually saves the time it promises.
• If the reason for hands-free is that laces come undone or bows are hard, elastic no-tie laces in a shoe you already own are a cheaper first test. We have not picked a brand yet.
• The Nike EasyOn page we checked is women's sizing only.
• We have not tested these shoes. Specs and prices come from Nike, Skechers and Amazon UK pages on 11 September 2026.