e-waste bricks, sneakers edition

Ars Technica informs us “Immensely disappointing”: Nike killing app for $350 self-tying sneakers :

In 2019, Nike got closer than ever to its dreams of popularizing self-tying sneakers by releasing the Adapt BB. Using Bluetooth, the sneakers paired to the Adapt app that let users do things like tighten or loosen the shoes’ laces and control its LED lights. However, Nike has announced that it’s “retiring” the app on August 6, when it will no longer be downloadable from Apple’s App Store or the Google Play Store; nor will it be updated.

[…]

Without the app, wearers are unable to change the color of the sneaker’s LED lights. The lights will either maintain the last color scheme selected via the app or, per Nike, “if you didn’t install the app, light will be the default color.”

Not that any of this was useful IMHO, but it remains people paid $350 for a pair of Nike sneakers and the distinguishing feature will be neutered by Nike when it decided to remove the app from the only distribution channels.

There should be a law making this illegal.

Trust will be hard to earn back, but then, lack of trust doesn’t seem to keep the C-suite awake anyway, so it may not even matter.