How come there are not any “running shoes” (not trail shoes), that have a lace system like the trails shoes below? Wouldn’t this be a heck of a better solution than lace locks/yantz, etc?
I was thinking that same thing the other day when I put on my new golf shoes (adidas), they have the same system as pictured. It would be so much easier then laces and decrease lace pressure points.
How are those different than yankz or lace locks? Looks to me that they are the same outside of the fact they are permanent. How would you replace them if they broke? Can’t tell from the pic, how exactly do they work?
~Matt
I don’t trust a lace system built into the shoe. Almost invariably, the “laces” will break before the shoes are worn out. Then you are pretty much pooched (or at the very least can’t use them as they were designed to be used).
There’s been several shoes with unconventional lacing. Check these from around 2001:
Nike Presto Faze
(Gave me serious heel blisters when used without socks)
You’ve really broken laces on running shoes before the the shoes wear out? I bet I could transfer laces from one set of running shoes to the next to the next for years…
The permanent laces on the Solomon trail shoes often break well before the shoes are history. Replacement laces are very hard to find. The lace system is probably equivalent in lacing speed as lace locks, but probably slower than Yanks.
I like to trail run, and I run in these Solomans…The laces seem to be super strong, but what do I know.
One pair of laces broke and then one eyelet broke after I finally found a replacement set of laces. I’ve had no problems with my latest pair. Maybe I just had a cursed pair.
i guess i just never thought that tying my own shoelaces was that hard.
i mean, ok, yes i used to think that, but i was really really young at the time.
meanwhile, it does seem risky to have one more breakable part on the shoe. it’d probably keep me from buying it.
The new Zoot tri shoes have built in speed/elastic laces like those. - I believe there was a thread with pics recently if you want to search and find them! They look great and it makes a lot of sense.
diadora does. i bought a pair at montauk last year at race expo. come with no tongue, so no chaffing/blisters when running barefoot. built in lace locks and velcro strap for extra tightening. love them. sure you could find them online somewhere
I have these. BOA lacing is faster than Salamon laces. One turn and the shoe is snug. Best thing the tension is even at all the places. This Arnuva 50 is really close to road shoe and has a nice cushion too.
there are/have been quite a few road shoes with a kevlar speedlace type lacing actually. Recently there was the Adidas Kona, several other climacool models, and I’m drawing a blank but I’ve seen it enough before where it’s nothing new. The thin laces do break a bit sooner, and also bite into the top of the shoe a bit harshly sometimes. Not really sure of the other drawbacks besides the fact that when I’ve shown them to customers most seem to want the normal lacing just due to them being used to it…
I am talking about the integrated ones. They are usually just rubber and wear out.
My first couple of pairs of racing flats in the 1980s were ugly yellow and black Nike’s with no laces, just some stretchy mesh material on the top. I liked those a lot and never knew why they were discontinued. Maybe the shoelace makers union put some pressure on Nike.
That would assume that running shoe design was dictated by running. My theory is that the vast majority of running shoes are not really used for running. It’s fashion before function for most brands.
You are correct, although several shoes have done this. Also, why not take this one step further and apply to cycling shoes! Specialized has in their high end S-works shoe (awesome shoe).
I had the same problem with them. I bought the gray/orange color but wore them just 5 or 6 times.
I had the laces in a pair of soloman trail shoes break on me on a trail run ~5 miles from the trail head. “running” on muddy single-track with out laces is a pain in the ass.
On another note they do sell replacement laces for the soloman’s. They’re almost as much a pain in the ass to put together as running in mud without laces.
scott