Hands-Free Sneakers That Lace Themselves, ‘ZeroTie,’ Sell For $125 a Pair

Whether you’re someone who physically has trouble tying their shoes, can’t manage to keep their laces tied, don’t know how to tie your shoes or can’t conjure enough willpower to tie them in the first place—you are far from alone with your sneaker-lacing woes or the slip-on market would be less demanding. But one thing a laceable shoe has over a slip-on is that if the laces are tight enough, it can fit to your foot without that loose, dangling sensation. This is why the ZeroTie, “the world’s first hands-free self-lacing shoes” stood out to me.

“It’s really a quality of life product,” said Evan Cagner who heads operation and manufacturing of ZeroTie. “Our technology works great for people who need to tighten and loosen their shoes constantly, and those who take their shoes on and off many times a day; health care professionals, frequent air travelers, triathletes, runners, home services workers, the elderly and disabled, and people with special needs.”

While we’ve been living in 2017, ZeroTie inventor Greg Johnson has had his mind in 2057. Globally, other researchers have been trying for years to produce kicks that feel effortless to lace, Take Nike, for example. When a fictional pair of the Swoosh appeared in the Back to the Future II film, audiences of the 80s were amazed by its capability to be laced with the click of a button on the side of Marty McFly’s high tops. Future innovators at Nike were even impressed by the imagination of their predecessors and later went on to make those sneakers a reality in 2016. Designers called them “HyperAdapt” and priced pairs at $720 when sales officially opened in December 2016. Other companies steered away from the button approach and claim the title of “self-lacing” shoes with pre-laced slip-ons—some that have shoelaces that adjust with drawstrings.

Almost a year later, a different brand switches up the game with a more apparent self-lacing sneaker that has features that vastly rival Nike’s. Nike required wearers to push a button to tighten and release shoelaces. However, priced lower at $70 to $190, theZeroTie is hands-free. There’s no type of doodad at all to pull or push with your hand. “Once you take them out of the box, you’ll never need to touch them with your hands again.” Inspired by an arthritis patient, Johnson’s sneakers prevent the need to bend down to be adjusted and laced. Your feet are what activate the fastening and unfastening technology. ZeroTie reps instruct, “To wear the shoe, you simply place your foot in the shoe, draw your foot back to activate the ‘tying’ mechanism and you’re ready to go.” And to take them off, “effortlessly press down on the small lever on the back of the shoe with your foot and you step right out.”

Men’s, women’s and kids’ ZeroTie sneakers can be purchased online, at the Minnesota State Fair and select retailers.