June 27, 2010

Knot a bad idea - laces that don't need to be tied

Can you imagine never tying your running shoes again? No tripping over intied laces? No overtight laces? No more loose laces?  The answer has just arrived in SA.... introducing Xtenex Laces.


Xtenex Lace Advantages (from www.xtenex.com)




This technology addresses the source of footwear related pain and discomfort: lace migration. Lace migration is the gradual movement of the shoe lace toward the forward bend of a shoe, which causes two main problems:
1) Binding; a tightening and restricting pressure at the top of the shoe. This can lead to foot fatigue, pain, numbness and restriction of natural foot swelling.


2) It loosens the fit around the footwear’s metatarsal area, which causes increased slipping and reduction of forward foot stabilization. This can produce heat friction, which often leads to painful blisters.

Xtenex laces have an elastic core and a series of knots along the entire length of the lace at consistent length intervals. Stretch the lace and the knots disappear, allowing you to thread the lace through the eyelets. Release the tension and the knots reappear. More knots between eyelets lessens the tension; fewer knots between eyelets increases tension. This technology enhances footwear fit, comfort and performance through its many advantages:
 
- The Xtenex Lace expands during natural foot swelling and eliminates foot compression.
- The lace does not slip — the knots maintain the original fit by restricting involuntary lace movement       through the eyelets; increasing comfort and keeping the foot stable in the foot bed.
- No plastic pieces are needed.
- Eliminates "dual-compression impact" (impact #1 = shoe sole hits ground / impact #2 = foot hits foot bed of shoe).
- A lace shoe is made into a slip-on — Never tie you shoelaces again!
- Asymmetrical lacingthe shoe upper can be molded to the natural non-symmetric form of the foot by independently adjusting the tension between each set of eyelets. The unique ability to have different tension zones along the entire lacing system results in a custom fit every time.
- Enhanced lateral stabilization is achieved by increasing the tension along the left or right side of a shoe upper. This helps to stabilize and support the foot within the foot bed while enhancing footwear and foot care technologies such as orthotics, arch supports and insole technologies.


Read a related article on www.runnersworld.co.za here

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