If you’re the kind of person who simply hates having to bend over to tie your shoes, then you’re going to want to take a look at the new line of footwear from Zerotie. The company created a unique mechanism that allows anyone wearing their shoes to tighten and loosen the laces without ever having to touch them at all.
The secret to the Zerotie design is a wheel that is embedded in the heel of the shoe. That wheel connects directly to the laces, adding or releasing tension as needed. The process for tightening the laces is reportedly quick and easy. So much so, that the Zerotie website prompts users to just step into the shoe, roll the wheel back to set the desired fit, and then just walk away. When they’re ready to take the shoes off, the wearer simply presses down on the wheel mechanism with their other foot to release the laces, allowing them to step right out of the shoe.
The shoes were originally created when Zerotie founder Greg Johnson saw his mother, who suffered from severe arthritis, struggle to bend over and put her shoes on. He thought that there had to be a better way for her to tie her shoes, other than just switching to ill-fitting slip-on models. It took him a few years to get the design just right, but the patented-mechanism found in all of the company’s shoes is the result of his work.
Zerotie offers customers a wide variety of shoe styles to choose from, including versions that look like traditional sneakers, as well as comfy loafers. There are options for men, women, and children with prices ranging from about $100 to $160 for the adult models and $70 for the youth versions. The shoes come in men’s sizes 8 to 13, women’s sizes 6 to 11, and youth sizes 5 to 13.
Apparently, Zerotie shoe owners don’t have to ever worry about breaking a lace either, which would be problematic on a shoe with this unique tying mechanism. The company claims that its proprietary laces are completely unbreakable and it backs them with a lifetime guarantee just in case.
