Shoe Tinkering
Altering the shoe putting-on and taking-off process
Laces drive me nuts.
I usually buy loafers, slip-on shoes, or wear sandals. My goal is to avoid getting a brand new pair I fall in love with and having to re-tie them every 50 steps. Or giving up and tying a double knot that leaves a huge ball of lace at on my shoe…or never tying my shoes and walking around with the laces hanging out (which only the people who love you will tell you, makes you look like a mess).
It is not the time I was wasting, because even if I go to work and the gym every day and switch shoes, it takes about 10 seconds each time to bend down, untie, get up and vice versa. That is ~40 seconds a day, ~5 minutes a week, or 4 hours a year. Thats not great, but not terrible.
It is the annoyance of looking unraveled, stopping, bending down, tying, getting up, and then continuing whatever it is you were doing. So…
How might I make it easy and enjoyable to put on and take off the shoes I love? (my design challenge)
I first thought about my favorite pair, PUMA Driving Class II, I wore until they had a hole in the bottom (and I still keep because I love the design). But…what to do with my shoes with laces?
I researched existing solutions and found Hickies, that are a step in the right direction. Bad news they don’t work on my sneakers because of my narrow feet…and they look a little kiddie.
So my prototype: I replaced the shoe laces on my sneakers with elastic.
After using them for about 10 minutes and slipping them on and off about a dozen times, I raved to my Dad and he told me to put them on his shoes. We have been testing them since. I can’t tell you how many times I have bent down to untie my shoes, and I don’t need to untie them!
Lots of feedback on the actual elastic, style, color, and usability, but they working great for version 1. Sketching next versions and lining up a few family members and different shoes for the next set of tests. Until the next prototype…
Does anybody have suggestions on where to get customized elastic?
