I've never been able to get them to work for me. They always cause insane hot spots because my foot keeps moving up and down.

Sounds like BS to me. I've been using elastic laces in all my shoes for 10 plus years with no issues. Many in the running club use them I haven't heard a thing from them.

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"...the street finds its own uses for things"

I saw that video and you made me watch it. It’s just as possible to pull your elastic laces tight over your foot as it is to pull a regular lace. I really can’t see the argument here. It’s a matter of comfort and if you are comfortable in your shoes with elastic laces then you are comfortable.

On the flip side my wife puts her running shoes on does not pull on the laces to tighten the shoe around and simply ties a bow knot. I can stick my finger between the knot and her shoe no problem. She runs just fine like that.

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Dave Jewell
Free Run Speed

I actually think just the opposite . . . I think elastic laces help your feet. I see no efficacy in that advice.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

if you're running properly, you don't even need laces, sort of like how cycling shoes feel...

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Eric Reid AeroFit | Instagram Portfolio
Aerodynamic Retul Bike Fitting

“You are experiencing the criminal coverup of a foreign backed fascist hostile takeover of a mafia shakedown of an authoritarian religious slow motion coup. Persuade people to vote for Democracy.”

total horse hockey.

i swapped to elastic laces a while back and will never go back to classic laces. i dont have to spend time trying to get my laces properly adjusted anymore, worry that the knot may come undone while running, or taking the time to fiddle with them in transition. i just slip my shoes on and run.

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80/20 Endurance Ambassador

I love the Xtenex brand!
Thekey is to find the right tension, if too loose your feet with move, if too tight will have pain afterward.
It usually take me two runs to find the right pressure
Never got an issue with them.

Count me in the camp who hates them. I’ve tried to like them, but because they’re always putting a bit of tension on my foot they wind up hurting my feet. Regular laces I can tie so there’s no pressure on the foot, unless the shoe moves on your foot for some reason.

Lace locks for me.

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I started using lock laces years ago which are elastic. I love them

Some shoes are better with elastic laces.
Some shoes are worse with elastic laces.
Some shoes just have shit lacing.

I've got elastic laces on all of my shoes, including those I wear to work. Been that way for years and no problems with my feets.

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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
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What do you guys recommend on doing to make them work?

For me, it depends on the shoes and the event. I use elastic laces in my racing shoes for all multisport races up to a half ironman, but don't generally use them for training at all. I use regular laces for Ironman distance events. I never use them for pure running events....one year I left my elastic laces in my racers at Boston...ouch...had blood blisters under toenails of all 10 toes due to all of the downhill. Lesson learned! So, I don't think I've helped you, but I don't think it needs to be all or nothing:) Good luck!

I have around 15 pairs of runners in my rotation.

Some shoes fit so well, it doesn't matter how I tie the laces. These are fine with elastic laces.

However most of my shoes need some level of lock down through the mid foot to achieve a good fit.

When I set up a pair of runners with elastic laces, I take several runs to get the tension the way I want it and then I never touch the laces again. For them to be loose enough for me to get them on very quickly, usually means a slight compromise over normal laces. Once I have elastic laces in a shoe, I will typically only use this shoe for races and brick sessions.

Worth noting that of the 15 pairs I own, there would only be about 5 pairs that I would consider using elastic laces with.

And if I was generalising, I would definitely recommend doing the majority of your running with normal laces.

Good to read you guys' opinions. I use several types of elastic laces for both racing and training and never thought twice about it. My preference are the bamboo laces with the 'knots' that allow you to ajust lace tension seperately for the different regions of your feet. Haven't had any problems yet that i can link to the laces. That video made me wonder though, however the claims they make don't seem to be supported by any scientific research or data from the medical field. Perhaps it's just one of those things that's differeny for every single person.

I tried this brand - the one with the knots - and I never got it fit right. What other brands are available?
Thanks, John

Only if youre elastic intolerant

Best laces ever

Among others, there's Tieloxx, Ulaces, locklaces, flat or round elastic laces and bamboo style laces. I order them from a local shop.
https://veters.nl/...tische-Veters?Lng=en

I also tried silicone laces i got from Decathlon, but i didn't like those because they are more difficult to install and they are more likely to break.

I'm a big fan of the flat, ribbon-style elastic laces. However, whenever I've tried elastic laces with a round cross-section, I've usually ended up with hot-spots on the upper side of my feet.
I don't feel any difference performance wise. In fact, I think I did my marathon PB with elastic laces, just because I couldn't be bothered to relace my race shoes after a triathlon!

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http://www.howesgreg.com

I have used tied laces, elastic laces and lock downs, not sure I have ever really noticed the difference, except in speed of getting them on. I make no claim to being a good runner or having good form. In fact like most lousy runners, I have probably spent more time analyzing, in the hopes of improving than good runners might have..

But for those who have issues around mid foot fit or blood blisters I would question how their running form might be an aspect. If your foot is being pushed forward on landing, it's because there's force in that direction. Perhaps a gait analysis (or film) would be useful. Just a thought.