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Tying shoe laces

Discussion in 'General Issues and Discussion Forum' started by akenne30, Nov 14, 2013.

  1. akenne30

    akenne30 Active Member


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    Hi All,

    Just looking to see how people approach the subject.

    I feel like a parent chanting the odds to grown adults about tying their laces:bang:.
    No matter how many times you explain about the importance of a retaining medium in a shoe they still don't use them or they tie them up once and use them as slip ons thereafter.
    So far ive seen a pair of Asics Kayano, Nimbus and NB 1080's in tatters at the heel counter. Not to mention all the school shoes and office shoes falling to bits because of it.

    Apart from my rant I just wanted to see if anyone has any methods of delivering this apart from generic advice and explaining why its important.
    Ive heard of lace anchors but have never had any experience of them.
    Also I've read a bit about lace locks but notice there has been some avoidance with runners?
     
  2. Just tell your patients that they could get more useful life out of the shoe if they didn't prematurely break down the heel counters of their shoes. As long as the shoes stay on their feet and aren't too loose, then I see no problems with this behavior other than the patient needing to buy shoes more often.
     
  3. akenne30

    akenne30 Active Member

    Hi Dr Kirby,
    Thanks for the reply, that's what I have been telling them.
    Wont the very nature of not lacing the shoe up each time it is worn result in the shoe being loose and the foot not being securely held against the heel counter?
    I know it seems like a trivial point but one Ive always considered important....otherwise what would be the point in the lace
     
  4. Alan:

    I don't get too concerned about my patients' behavior regarding their lacing/unlacing of shoes unless it affects their foot function or their foot orthosis function.

    Many obese or elderly individuals tend to use slip-on shoes simply because they have difficulty reaching their feet to tie their laces. Many children have grown up using Velcro closures and even by the time they are in 2nd or 3rd grade still can't tie their shoe laces without a struggle (I tell their parents that their children are members of the "Velcro generation"). Triathletes often use elastic shoe laces which allow rapid entry into their running shoes at the their bike-run transition. These elastic shoe laces (of which there are many brands) can also be used on regular shoes which can help people that don't want to tie and untie their shoes every time they take off and put on their shoes.

    I think we must try to be aware of and open to all types of shoe closure/shoe styles for our patients as long as we don't think that they significantly affect foot and/or foot orthosis function by using them.
     
  5. Boots n all

    Boots n all Well-Known Member

    Its often not quite;) their fault... most runners come with a lace that is 1400-1800mm long, if they draw the laces up to make the shoe fitting snug, they are left with 600mm of lace to tie, even with a double knot there is enough lace hanging over to trip them over, just like shoes, one size lace does not fit all.

    When explaining to children and adults ...
    "Your foot is like an egg, place an egg in the boot of your car, go around a round about or over a speed hump and the egg will be broken, place an egg in an egg carton where it is held firm, do the same, no broken eggs...the same goes for shoes and feet.
     
  6. akenne30

    akenne30 Active Member

    Thanks for the analogy David! :)


    Dr Kirby at which point would you know that it is effecting their foot function or their orthoses function?
     
  7. akenne30

    akenne30 Active Member

    Sorry I guess I'm just trying to say there's no real way ( that I can see) of quantifying how loose a lace/strap/velcro would have to be before it affects foot function or orthoses function.

    So my outlook is always to emphasize the importance of it. Putting the point across to the patient is my problem but if they have never done it and got into what I see as a bad habit then the elastics should be something I have in clinics to offer as a compromise.

    Cheers
     
  8. SingaPod

    SingaPod Member

    I have great difficulty getting patients to tie laces properly with most if left to their own devices doing the lace up loose and slip on thing. It is especially vexing when you have convinced them to get out of their overly tight slip on shoes and into some sports shoes only for them to do this and complain about them being too loose.......

    I never had this problem when in the UK but since I've been in Singapore it seems to be every patient. I think it is due to the fact that slip on shoes/sandles and flip flops are the norm here, they seem to find it exceptionally bothersome to fasten and unfasten them while those from countries where lace up shoes are the norm seem not to mind.

    I've even had a high percentage of those in velcro fastened shoes use them as slip ons.

    I've had to argue with people along the lines of "you know I told you that slip on shoes were not suitable for your feet well what you've done is turn your expensive lace up shoes into a bad slip on and you are breaking them in the process"
     
  9. efuller

    efuller MVP

    It's their choice. I have to agree with Kevin here. It reminds me of the time I took my kids to the park. There was a kid going down the slide head first. There was an adult, who looked like a grandparent, who started yelling at the kid to go down the slide correctly. The kid looked at the adult a little funny and went to another play structure to play Unless you can come up with a way that wearing shoes in a non traditional way will cause an injury, then you are just being an old fuddy duddy by asking them to wear their shoes correctly. If you can't give real world advice, your patients may stop listening to you.

    Eric
     
  10. blinda

    blinda MVP

    Yep, I may have said this before; we aint the shoe police. We can advise pts on the effects of slip-on/"inappropriate` footwear, but at the end of the day it is their choice.

    Personally, I always approach any ride head first ;)
     
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