Never Tie Your Shoes Again - SnapLaces Review
All triathletes have been there at least once in their careers. Sitting in Transition 2, coming off the bike, trying to get their running shoes on quickly so they can finish their race. And the struggle begins. They tie their shoes, but it's either too loose, too tight, or they are just taking up too much time getting them tied. SO FRUSTRATING!
Or even better, you finally get them tied, but during the run, they untie. Now, this usually happens when you are at the best pace you've ever had, and everything is feeling right until you start feeling the whipping of your shoelace on the back of your ankle every step. Now you have to stop your momentum, kill your pace, and tie your shoe. And we all know that once untied, they never stay tied right again.
Well, I was in that very situation during Ironman 70.3 Miami. While my untied shoes were the least of my worries during that race, they were not staying tied for anything. During that race, stopping to tie them helped the cramps set in even more. It hurt, and it was annoying.
I got home and was asking about laces that were quick and easy to tie, and stayed tied during the race, and my buddy Ryne suggested SnapLaces. Now, they looked weird to begin with. 2 pieces of elastic shoelace and 2 clips, and that was it. So I said my usual line, "I'll look into it". Then he tells me that he has some demo pairs from the company (part of the joys of running a foundation with sponsors, you get demo stuff. Check out the Mohawk Foundation), and he could send me a pair. So, I accept. It can't hurt to try something for free, right?
A few days later, I got them in the mail, and I was curious but cautious at the same time. They didn't look like much, but my main concern wasn't if they'd stay shut, but would they hold the shoe in pace during a long run. I mean, we've all seen peoples feet after marathons and such, all blistered up. Most of those blisters come from the foot sliding around in the shoe for 26.2 miles. They hurt to have, and they are painful to walk on. So, would these laces hold my foot in place during the event?
So, after about 2 months later I got back into running. I took a couple months off of any endurance training, so I couldn't try them right away. I finally laced up my running shoes, and put them on. As I figured, they slipped on really fast. I didn't have to unsnap the laces, just lift the tongue of the shoe, and slide my foot in. That made me even more skeptical. If I could put my foot in that easily, how would they hold the shoe in place during a run?
I took a few steps around the house, and got really nervous. The shoes felt loose on my foot, but I had to go for a run to really test them. So, I kept it short and only ran 3 miles. Was my foot going to slide? Was my shoe going to come off? How was this going to feel at all?
HOLY WOW!
During the run, they felt amazing! My foot didn't feel like it was sliding, The laces weren't too tight on my foot, but while running, they weren't too loose either. It felt really comfortable, but stable at the same time. But it was only 3 miles, everything feels good for 30 minutes, right? So, I started increasing my distances with the SnapLaces, and same effect. My foot didn't feel like it was sliding, didn't feel like the shoe was going to fall off, circulation on the foot was nice. I was pleased, but not fully sold. I had to do a couple more distances first.
The next big race was my Half Marathon in April. By this point, I had done a few 10k races, a 15k race, so you think I would be sold on the product. Not quite yet. I got ready for the half marathon, and again, my foot felt great. No blisters either. But the final test to sell me on this product was Rev 3 Knoxville. That was a 70.3 mile race, but ending with a half marathon. Would the shoes work to help shorten my T2 times, and still feel good on my feet during the half marathon?
Yeah, it totally did. I pulled into T2 after a pathetic bike ride (my personal performance was pathetic to me), slipped my shoes on, got up and left. I was out of Transition in less than 3 minutes. And after a slow 13.1 miles, my feet felt great. No blisters, no untied laces, no circulation issues. I was completely
SOLD!
Now I just need to get a pair for every pair of sneakers I have, I'd be good. I want to use them for everything because I hate having to bend down to tie my shoes. Yes, call it laziness, but if there is a product that can help me do this, I'll use it.
The final test of these laces will be in October at Ironman North Carolina. I have never ran 26.2 miles before, and while I totally believe these laces will get me to the finish blister free, I won't make any promises. We shall see in October what happens. But for now, I am definitely a fan of these laces.
