Why Do Shoelaces Come Untied? (2024)

It happens to everyone, one minute you’re walking smoothly through the airport; luggage in tow, no liquids to get you stopped, your velour tracksuit is looking fly. The next thing you know your shoelaces are caught in the escalator and you wake up 3 days later only to have missed your much anticipated trip to the Golden Girls Museum. How did this happen? Could it have been prevented? The answers of course lie in the science of shoelace tying, rather untying.

We might have a flair for the dramatic here, but in all seriousness how many times a day does the average person trip over untied shoelaces, only to have to bend down and re-tie? The answer is 4! It’s estimated that over a lifetime a person will spend 973 hours simply tying their shoes. Why are they coming untied though? Even true followers of the Double Knot technique, still find their shoestrings amiss.

Why Do Shoelaces Come Untied? (1)

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley had the same question. In a study, they found that the repeated impact of a shoe hitting the ground when we walk or run loosens the knot. Then, as we swing our legs, the whipping motion of the laces’ free ends pulls them apart. They also found that shoelaces loosen faster when a person runs because the foot of a runner hits the ground harder than during a walk. That force makes the knot stretch and relax more than it would during walking. It’s physics, a problem involving basic forces and motion. If only there was a way to keep this from happening.

Why Do Shoelaces Come Untied? (2)

Lucky for well, EVERYONE, Caterpy No Tie Shoelaces is the answer. The patented bump technology keeps the shoelaces at the desired tension throughout the shoe regardless of how fast a person is walking or running. In fact, Caterpy No Tie Shoelaces stretch, relax, and return to normal as the runner’s foot hits the ground.

Why Do Shoelaces Come Untied? (3) Why Do Shoelaces Come Untied? (4)

So whether you’re running sub7 minute miles or trying to make it through the airport without an escalator incident, Caterpy no tie shoelaces will keep your feet comfortable and your shoes secure all without ever having to tie them again.

Why Do Shoelaces Come Untied? (2024)
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