Zip Up Laces

Intro: Zip Up Laces

After finding myself repeatedly waiting to take my shoes off until it was time for bed, I realized I needed to figure out another way to lace my sneakers. I like my sneakers tied tightly, but it meant I had to tighten and tie them when putting them on and loosening several sections to take them off. No, it doesn't take that much effort, but after a long day of work, everyone is entitled to be a little extra lazy.

I went looking for a solution and found this. I had to have some! This instructable seems to be from back in the day when photo instructables were a thing, so here's my step by step version. Thanks for the inspiration rachel!

STEP 1: Materials

Shoes (I'm using my made-to-order converse high tops, but I also made my husband some for his boots.)

2 zippers (I used 7" for the high tops.)

Tiny sharp scissors or other method for punching holes in fabric

Small eyelets and eyelet application tools

Small rivets and rivet application tools OR needle and thread

Shears or other tool for cutting/splitting the zipper teeth

STEP 2: Applying Eyelets

Unlace your shoes.

Mark your zipper next to each eyelet on the shoe. (If the shoe eyelets are straight, you could lay the zipper underneath and put a pen through them to mark the zipper. My shoes have a curve to them, so I put the zipper up to the edge and eyed where to mark the zipper.)

Use your tiny scissors to cut a small hole on each mark.

Push the eyelet through the hole and use your eyelet tool to affix them.

Continue until you've applied all the eyelets on one side.

STEP 3: 2nd Side

Unzip the zipper and fold the eyelet side over the 2nd side.

Use a pen to mark the 2nd side through the eyelets.

Apply eyelets to the 2nd side.

STEP 4: 2nd Zipper and Finishing

Lay the first zipper over the 2nd zipper to mark the eyelet placement.

Apply eyelets to the 2nd zipper.

Fold over the bottom of the zippers with enough room for rivets.

Cut a hole for the rivets and use the rivet tool to affix them.

Cut the excess zipper off the back if there is any.

Repeat this process at the top.

Note: You could also stitch the top and bottom of the zippers. I had the rivets and tools already out, so I went with the rivets.

STEP 5: Lace 'em and Enjoy

Lace them up and tie the excess laces in the back. The original instructable shows that the laces were cut and tied in a knot at the top, so this is also an option, but I didn't want to cut my laces.

They fit great and are so much easier to put on and take off!

Comments

[demosthien]

I saw your project in HackSpace magazine & thought I’d check it out... I’ve now followed you & faves about a dozen of your ‘ibles!

Love your work.

[thomas.luton.96]

WOW Thats really cool :D

[inventor scout]

I'm making these, they are a lot easier to put on, but my zipper isn't quite as wide, so the grommets hang over the side.

[shazni]

C-O-N-G-R-A-T-S!!!!! My favorite entry ;-)

[Brooklyntonia]

Thanks! I'm so excited about my first grand prize win. Congrats to you too!

[Rhonda Chase Design]

What great idea! No one in my house ever actually wears their Converse high tops because they're so hard to get on and off. And the look is awesome too!

[ZaneEricB]

Wicked.

[jatoha]

Wow, these are awesome and I have all the materials to make them- thanks!

[mfrontuto]

sweet! I have an old pair of shoes that I need to do this to for when I do yard work. Thanks

[chiggy1049]

A wonderful idea! My son's autistic and just can't get no matter how much you try and teach him how to tie his shoes so this will be a great help with him being more independent :D Thank you

[shazni]

This is fantastic! I really must adapt this to most of the laced shoes. We avoid buying laced shoes because my son hates lacing and unlacing in school. Thanks for this tutorial :-) . Defineitly voting for all 3!

[guy.lamoureux.7]

I am very sorry but I'll have to be frank with you : why don't you teach your kid not to be so lazy ? And he has to develop his fine motor skills. Lacing up his shoes is a very good practice to do that.

[Brooklyntonia]

I'm an elementary teacher, so I agree it's important to teach them to tie their own shoes. Until they learn, however, their laces are dragging the ground at school in hallways and bathrooms collecting all manner of disgusting germs (and I'm no germaphobe) and repeatedly causing them to trip when the kid behind them in line steps on them. There are very few kindergarten students that can tie their shoes themselves, so their teacher inevitably spends a lot of time tying their gross laces. I say teach them to tie their shoes at home and let them learn math and reading at school.

[guy.lamoureux.7]

I they can't tie them up themselves, they tuck them in their shoes. And with my wife's experience, around 50% of kids know how to tie their shoes at the beginning od the year.

And "fine motor skills" is in the curriculum because it's the right age to do it. Math and reading is not part of the curriculum. Only an introduction to math and reading is. Let's not jump ahead too fast please.

[shazni]

No problem :-). Yes, perhaps he is a bit lazy. But he is 7 yrs and 3 days out of 5 he has to go to school by 6 am and the other 2 days by 7 am. Also in school they have to remove their shoes about 2-3 times. Waking them up early and getting all 3 of my kids( 4, 7, 12) ready at the same time is stressful enough without having to deal with early morning fuss! I have no issues with my daughter as she is older. But my 7 yr old, perhaps a bit more time :-)

[guy.lamoureux.7]

My wife (kindergarten teacher) tells me that this skill should me learned at around 4 and should be mastered at 5. Practice. Practice. Practice. It will only help him.

[Brooklyntonia]

Thanks for the compliments and the votes!

[CaseyCase]

Love the instructable--the zipper mod is great but those crazy shoes make my eyes bleed.

[Brooklyntonia]

Yea, well it's easy to get carried away on Converse's Design-Your-Own site.

[pmorse1]

I guess one could sew the zipper on, but the eyelets give it more "oomph"! I like the look and I'm a 73 yr. old woman. I'm going to have to make a pair for my 5 yr. old great-grandson. I know he would love them, even tho' he knows how to tie shoes and all! It's the look, I love! Thanks!