No-tie shoelaces: Tradition or Innovation?

I've never been one to try new gadgets. In addition to skepticism, I’ve always thought that if something works, why change it? 

I heard about these no-tie laces that supposedly provide “comfort, convenience, and performance.” Now, most of us learned how to tie our shoelaces when we were four or five years old… so why change that? I still remember eagerly showing my mom how fast and neatly I could tie my shoes - it was almost a right of passage into the whole “do it myself” phase of life.

However, upon curiosity, I decided to venture out and try a pair of these no-tie shoelaces for my new kicks. 

I’m a fast walker so whenever my shoelaces get undone, I’m not too happy to slow down to tie them up - especially during the winter season. You know what’s also annoying? When my laces come undone three minutes into the first interval of my HIIT workout. Inconvenient, right? I’m sure your shoelaces have also come undone at a bad time and that’s why I wanted to give these pair of no-tie shoelaces a try.

INSTALLING THE LACES

I wasn’t expecting anything extraordinary from these no-tie shoelaces, I mean, let’s face it, they’re just “shoelaces”… However, installing the elastic shoelaces was quick and easy, and I loved the option to adjust the laces to my desired tension. But let’s put them to the test!

TRYING OUT THE LACES

One of the concerns that I had was that the laces wouldn’t be able to keep up with my busy lifestyle.

On the first day, I slipped into my shoes with ease and what a satisfying feeling that was! My neighbours probably heard me running around my house in the morning as I was rummaging for my lunchbag, backpack, and keys. Once ready to leave my house, I’d normally put my bags down, sit on the bench, and untie the laces on my boots just to squeeze my feet in. But with these stretchy no-tie shoelaces, I was ready to leave the house in seconds!

Throughout the day, I realized how important it is to have the right tension in your feet. With the holidays coming up, I thought to myself… how awesome would these be for traveling? My feet tend toswell quite a bit so having that flexibility to adjust the tension would make a HUGE difference during my travels. I made a mental note to myself to get an extra pair for my next trip abroad. 

In the evening, I made my way to my fitness class and I wasn’t sure if these laces were made for intense performance. As soon as I got to class, I reached down to untie my work shoes out of habit but remembered that I could simply slip them off. I smiled quite proudly as I looked at other gym members still sitting down to tie their messy shoelaces. Throughout my work-out routine, I noticed how often my friends had to stop their workout to tie or tighten their shoelaces. To my surprise, the laces held it’s tension and oh boy - I didn’t have to stop my workout to tie my shoelaces! It was this moment when I realized that I never wanted to tie my shoelaces ever again. By the end of my workout, I was impressed and optimistic about making my new no-tie shoelaces a part of my fitness gear. 

FINAL VERDICT

I was so impressed with my experience that I was eager to show non-believers of no-tie shoelaces the benefits that come with them by the second week. My family, friends, and even some colleagues at work decided to try them out. As I got people around me to switch their old pair of laces, I noticed that these no-tie shoelaces solved different issues for every person. My friends who had kids loved not having to worry about tying their kid’s shoelaces anymore, especially when they are rushing out of the house in the morning. They also felt that it was a great safety hack for the little ones. Even if kids know how to tie their shoelaces, they always tend to come undone. My older relatives loved the freedom of never having to tie their shoelaces as they get older and have less mobility. My fitness buddies loved their uninterrupted workouts and even my most fashion-trendy friends loved the clean bow-free look with a colour lace that complimented their shoes. In the end, it was a win-win for all and certainly a great discovery.

 By guest blogger Cristina P.