‘I still can’t believe that happened:’ a Montana Special Olympics athlete gets his hands-free, athletic shoes

Melanie Willardson

BILLINGS, Mont. – A Montana Special Olympics athlete has a pair of Nike Go Fly Ease shoes in his size after many people messaged Nike on his behalf.

We first brought you Isaac Baldry’s story on March 16

Isaac Baldry is a Special Olympics athletic with cerebral palsy. He wanted a hands-free pair of athletic shoes in his size: a size four kids. He noticed that Nike was coming out with hands-free shoes at the end of April called Go Fly Ease, but the shoes didn’t come in Isaac’s size.

Isaac’s brother, Garrett Baldry, contacted Nike on Isaac’s behalf and made a social media post asking Nike to make Isaac a pair of the shoes.

Wake Up Montana spoke with both Isaac and Garrett about what the shoes would mean for Isaac.

“Independence,” Isaac responded. “I think of ways to do things for myself. I am always modifying things to find a way I can do it. I do not have athletic shoes even though I have been a Special Olympic Athlete. Fly Ease shoes let you slip your foot in. I wouldn’t have to worry about bending my foot or ankle just to get it on. Right now, they don’t make them in a size that would fit me. I need a small shoe. Not a child’s shoe Not a ladies shoe. Sometimes, they make them bigger for athletes. Why can’t we have them smaller too?”

About a week after the original Wake Up Montana story ran, Nike contacted Wake Up Montana’s Melanie Willardson and Garrett Baldry to say they were going to make Isaac a pair of Go Fly Ease shoes. This came after many messages to Nike from viewers.

“He told me that he had a pair of shoes for Isaac and he’d get them in a four,” Garrett said of the conversation with a Nike director. “So, he got that done. He told me that, I think, on a Thursday or a Friday and they were shipped by Monday. They were here by Wednesday.”

 Isaac’s family surprised him with the shoes on April 5. 

“I still can’t believe that happened,” Isaac said. ” I would like to thank everyone who helped me!”