The claim: U-Lace is the one-of-a-kind solution to conventional laces that constantly come untied. It is a fresh and fun outlet for personal expression and gives your kicks the attention they deserve. These elastic laces clip into the shoe's eyelets and eliminate lacing up and tying bows. The lacing patterns can be utilized to fine-tune the snugness from extra snug to fairly loose.
Cost: $3.49 for a 6-lace pack
Where:www.u-lace.com
Ihave a habit of loosely lacing some of my shoes and boots to use them as slip-ons, so I was interested in U-Lace.
The first issue I could see without opening the package: One pack has six lace segments. The average adult shoe has five to seven holes on each side. One set of ankle boots I have even has nine. So, unless you want to ponder a creative lacing pattern, you need at least two packs.
As I had only one pack, I dug through my summer shoes to find a pair that had only four holes per side. (Side note: Open the package with care. The adhesive to keep shoplifters at bay is wicked sticky and will adhere to anything that brushes against it.)
The diagrams inside show all sorts of artful lacings requiring multiple colors, and the instructions suggest, but don't show, altering spacing to make a snugger fit. I improvised with an X spanning three sets of holes and one lace straight across at the top. It holds, but not as snuggly as I might have hoped.
The skipping of holes created another issue. The part of the lace that slips into the shoe has different-shaped ends, so, if you use every hole, they lock together. That doesn't work if you skip holes, and those ends can rub or dig into your foot. It's not so bad, as long as you're wearing socks. I may have to buy another set to see if those issues are solved with more laces and if they are practical in shoes that get a little more aggressive wear.
Oh, my 9-year-old son certainly knows how to tie his shoes. That doesn't mean he does it. So, what's a parent who doesn't want to see his kid tripping over himself do? Velcro shoes are one solution, but when the coolest kicks are laced, you're out of luck.
Enter U-Lace — customizable shoelaces, well, more like shoelace bites. The stretchy laces are quite short, and have a T-shaped tab on both ends. The idea is they slip into one lace hole and are pulled across into the other hole. The shoe then becomes a slip-on.
At first, I figured they wouldn't hold up, or they might not be tight enough to keep the shoes on my active son's feet. But, darn if the things don't work like magic. The shoes stayed on his feet quite well, and getting them on and off was simple.
The U-Laces were a bit tough to get into the shoe's eyeholes, but other than that, it's a great concept.
All in all, it's a good solution — and a not too expensive one — to a common problem with kids' shoes. Of course, this could mean my son might forget how to tie his shoes.
