Toggle Shoe Laces – Never Tie Your Shoes Again
When children have a hard time learning how to tie their shoes and the selection of shoes with velcro gets smaller to non-existent, then I recommend that you let your child choose a pair of shoes with shoelaces, and then replace the shoelaces with toggle shoe laces. Do you know what a toggle shoelace is? Toggle shoelaces —also referred as to Lock Laces— are a no-tie lacing system that looks like this:
You simply replace your kids’ shoelaces with toggle shoelaces, and you’ll never have to worry about your kids’ shoes coming untied again.
The Challenges of Finding Velcro Shoes for Your Child
Some children who wear a shoe size 3 or above don’t have many velcro options to choose from, so a toggle shoelace allows those children to choose shoes with shoelaces, so the shoe options open up considerably. If you want to check whether there are any velcro options available in your child’s shoe size I suggest that you read a different article I created that describes the best velcro sneakers in large sizes.
Toggle Shoe Laces – Never Tie Your Kids’ Shoes Again!
If you have children who are too young or not ready to learn how to tie their shoes, a friend or family member who has a hard time bending over, or a child with special needs, then toggle shoelaces are a smart, and durable alternative to keeping their shoes tight. Toggle shoelaces for kids help save parents and children a lot of time when rushing to school!
Keep in mind that not all toggle shoelaces are the same, there are certain kinds that are made from better materials and will be more durable than others. We have tried some brands where the parents had to keep coming back to the store due to the elastic laces falling apart. The one I recommend is the most durable and reliable. Disclosure: Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases.
The Best Toggle Shoe Laces for Kids
Below you can find a selection of durable and reliable toggle shoelaces that I have fitted before.
I have read that toggle shoelaces are engineered to help athletes improve performance. However, I strongly disagree with that statement. I do not recommend these for an individual who is involved in competitive sports or runs long distances.
Toggle Shoe Laces For Kids – How Easy Is To Put Them On?
Parents tend to ask this common question: “Will lock laces fit any shoe?”
The answer is: YES! You can trim them to fit any shoe! Toggle shoe laces are easy to put on; it usually takes me a maximum of 3 minutes to do them in the store. Follow these easy steps for putting the lock laces in the shoe:
1️⃣ Remove the shoelaces from the shoe.
2️⃣ Insert the new lock laces in the shoe.
3️⃣ Squeeze lock and thread each lace through lock.
4️⃣ Use scissors to cut laces 2-3 inches below lock.
5️⃣ Insert laces into the clip.
6️⃣ Press to close.
To get the best fit, always install the toggle shoelaces when the shoe is in the child’s foot. Do not hesitate to contact me if you are having trouble fitting the lock laces in your kids’ shoes
While I believe lock laces are a great feature for children who are not ready to start tying their shoes, they are not appropriate for every child. Learn if your child qualifies for a pair of lock laces:
Lock laces are appropriate for:
- Children who are too young to learn how to tie their shoes.
- Children who don’t want to learn how to tie their shoes.
- Young adults who have trouble tying their shoes.
- Special needs children that don’t have any Velcro sneaker options available in their size.
- The elderly who have trouble reaching down.
- People with back problems who find it hard to bend over to tie their shoes.
Lock laces are not appropriate for:
- Children or young adults who are involved in competitive sports.
- Children who have stability issues.
- Children who need maximum shoe support.
- Long distance runners.
If your children are serious about running, then you must purchase a pair of shoes that come with shoelaces. That is the best way to secure the foot and to get all the features that the shoe has to offer.
Let me know in the comments section below if you have any questions or if you are unsure about which specific pair of toggle shoe laces you should choose for your child.
I’m a grown adult and I have issues with my laces always untying! I don’t like to double-knot because then shoes can be hard to get off, so they are always coming loose when I’m at the gym. I need some of these things for sure! And when I have children I’ll also get them some 😉
Gina,
There is a pair of shoe laces that I recommend that are thicker and come with bumps, and they usually stay tied longer. You can find them here: Laces for Kids I believe you will better off tying your shoes, specially if you like going to the gym and using the treadmill.
Toggle shoelaces look like a great invention that I believe most kids would find great to have and like the look of them for their footwear. Knowing how easy it would make tightening up their laces most kids would prefer to have them.
Having these toggle’s would make taking the time to learn how to tie their footwear much easier when they would want to find out how.
Like the post and my grandkids will like the product.
Travis,
Toggle shoe laces are a great invention. They have helped not only children, but also adult’s with back problems that find it hard to bend over to tie their shoes and the elderly who have trouble hunching down.
Hi there Juan,
This is such a great product and I think it fits adults just as well. I used to run for marathons and one of the common mishaps that we often see is people tripping over their shoe laces during a run or they had to stop abruptly to fix their shoe laces.
When you are running with hundreds of people, this simple act can cause unexpected commotion. So these lock laces would be a good alternative for runners.
Thanks for sharing such useful information.
Cathy,
I disagree with you. I do not recommend toggle shoe laces for marathon runners. A person who is serious of running a marathon should compromise on tying their shoe laces properly. They will get more support from the shoe and also more stability. You do make a great point that when running a a marathon with hundreds of people, untying shoe laces can cause an unexpected commotion. If someone has issues tying their shoes, then toggle shoe laces will be the solution!
Juan,
That pic looks so scary! Fortunately my 2 year old is now very in love with his no tie rainboots, and that works for me. Otherwise I’ve been using velcro or ked-type shoes so far. But this is a great alternative as well, I wasn’t even aware so thank you for that! Sounds like there are really no downsides and it can be pulled tight as well.
Best~
Maria
Maria,
I didn’t mean to scare you! I was just trying to get my point across. The main downsize is that shoe laces do provide more support and stability since you can pull them tighter. I do not recommend toggle shoe laces for children who are involved in competitive sports or runners. However, they are great for children that are too young or not ready to learn how to tie their shoes, a friend or family member who has a hard time bending over, a child with special needs who has a shoe size that is too long for velcro sneakers.
I have small children and tying and untying shoe laces makes life very difficult, especially when we need to leave in a hurry, because we are already late.
I would definitely try this product – lock lace, to make my children’s and my life easier in the mornings.
I’ve never heard about this product before. Have you used it? Is it easy to use? Can a small child understand its purpose and how to use it?
I’ll bookmark your site for other useful tips in the future.
All the best!
Lock Laces are a great alternative for children who do not know how to tie their shoe laces. This is a product that we sell at the store I work for. All the products or shoes that I describe in my website I have either fitted or worn them myself. It is a very easy product to use and simple to set up. What are the ages of your children? If they are 5 or 6 years old or below, then you don’t need this product. You can just provide them with a pair of velcro sneakers. Let me know if you have any more questions!