Any idea how the Yankzs! work? Which are best for fit/feel vs. speedy transitions?
I think Yankz suck. I roll and smoke my own when it comes to lace locks. Real easy and cheap. Go to REI and get a few feet of shock cord and then a package of cord locks and you have your own customized and adjustable “lacing system”. I have half a dozen pair of shoes setup like this for everything from trainers to flats to just around the house/yard type shoes.
Send me a private message if you want the exact product codes for the shock cord and cord locks.
I use easy laces. Work for me.
I’m sure you can make something simpler and easier (and maybe better) like Jack Bauer, but I’m too lazy. Yankz is a little complicated the first time you put them on your shoes, but once you figure it out, they’re great. They’re the only ones I use now.
I’m not one for following directions, but you really have to closely follow them the first time you use Yankz.
I like Yankz, they are just a bit complicated. But I figured them out no problem and once they’re on you they are easy to use!
I second easy laces.
Has any one used Yankz and Easy Laces? Wondering the pro’s and con’s of each.
For me the Easy Laces were well easy, laced them on, adjusted for tightness, and have not touched them in a year.
I’ve have both on two different pairs of shoes. Also went the Walmart route with elastic and cord locks on another pair. Have not had a problem with any of the three sets. The Yankz system is unnecessarily complicated, IMO. Easy laces or homemade for me.
Yankz are definitely complicated to set up initially, but once you spend a few minutes getting them on the shoes, and do some minor adjustments to get the fit you want, you don’t have to touch them again.
Do Easy Laces have a way to “lock down” the clincher thing so it doesn’t bounce? My first pair of elastic laces (I can’t remember if they were Easy Laces or not) drove me a little crazy because the little plastic clincher thing bounced on my foot and rattled a little. It wasn’t a huge deal, but Yankz avoids that by connecting the clincher to the toe clip.
“The Yankz system is unnecessarily complicated”
Couldn’t have said it better. Why do we need a “system” for tying shoes?
I’ve tried a few and really like Lock Laces. You can find them on ebay or go to the website.
I used Easy Laces in the 90’s, but haven’t been too concerned about transition times this millenium. Doing a couple of sprint tri’s and an oly before IMC this year and looking at shaving some time off my IMC pb. Also, had a foot injury lately where the top of my foot meets the ankle (tib anterior). Physiotherapists think it could be the inside surface and lacing scheme of my Asics. I see that Pearl Izumi has a smooth shoe, but I have a bunch of Asics and Saucony’s on hand from ebay sales. I think I will run down to Wal Mart and buy some cord for the DIY EZ laces. Thanks!
Lock Laces work well for me. I’ve tried the yankz and didn’t care for them.
Buy Yankz but don’t use the plastic things.
Lace up the shoes as you would with any other pair of laces. Put on the shoes with the laces untied. Tie a knot so the tension is where you want it when running. Cut off the excess leaving enough to grab hold of to tighten the knot from time to time. The elasticity allows you to slip your foot in and not have to worry about sliding/tightening parts. Just slip your foot in and get going.
Previously, I used Speed Laces. They were ok, but Yankz are a few seconds faster and much more comfortable. The plastic eyelet parts on Speed Laces always cut up my feet.
Hear Hear,
I too like the simple and cheap option. Work a treat, easy to use and itiot proof, all for next to no cost.
No need to go to fancy expensive solutions that do the same or less, for more money.
I use Yankz, but I don’t bother with the plastic bits. Just tye them up like regular laces.
Has any one used Yankz and Easy Laces? Wondering the pro’s and con’s of each.
Easy Laces are good. The lace length is just about perfect. They also come in many colors so you can match them to your shoes which is cool.
Yankz suck. The laces are way to long. If you cut them, the ends will get frayed.
don’t know that they are the best, but Easy Laces have served me well for many years.
long as they keep making 'em… i’ll keep buying.
I used Yankz and liked them but now use Easy Laces because that’s what they sell at my local tri store. I keep them very loose for sprint and Oly, and just slip the shoes on and go. I snug them a bit for HIM and for longer races I use regular laces because if my shoes are too loose I get blisters in a long run. Besides, if the run is longer than two hours, the transition time doesn’t matter much.
Yankz were way too complicated for me, so I stick with the home made shock cord and lock option that someone mentioned. $5 at a running store, about $2 at REI.
Bob