Speed laces

What are speed laces? Speed laces are used by triathletes to eliminate the need to tie and untie their shoelaces allowing them to slip on their running shoes effortlessly in transition. This saves valuable seconds and can be the difference between winning and losing. 

Advantages of using speed laces:

• Saves time in T2 by avoiding the need to tie shoelaces
• Won’t come undone during the run
• Ensures a secure fit throughout the race

There are two types of speed laces:

Elasticated and non-elasticated.

Elasticated laces

Generally, come with a locking mechanism that secures the lace and ensures that it does not come undone during the run, such as Ez Gains. Simply thread the laces through your running shoes, similar to normal laces and then lock the laces in place for a secure and comfortable fit. Trim off any excess lace and ensure the foot is comfortable. A common mistake is to make the elasticated laces too tight which can cause some irritation on longer distance races such as a half or full Ironman. Elasticated laces facilitate super quick transitions saving precious seconds especially for the shorter races such as Sprint and Olympic. There are a few downsides to these laces:

• If fitted too tight they will be uncomfortable and cause irritation by putting too much pressure on the instep
• Ensure the correct fit to avoid the foot moving too much within the shoe potentially causing blisters and black toenails

Non-elasticated laces

These use traditional shoelaces with an innovative locking mechanism, such as Greeper laces. They take slightly longer to fit but are very comfortable and ideal for longer races such as half or full Ironman distances. 

Both elasticated and non-elasticated laces are of great help to children and seniors and anybody with movement restrictions.

By David Hunt certified TriSutto coach