It took a lot of internet research, but I finally found the laces that will give my 10-year-old son, who has autism, “shoe independence.” And that’s a big deal. He can’t tie shoe laces. And velcro shoes get scarce once your kid gets beyond the toddler years.
Elastic laces didn’t cut it. But, that’s where we started. We tried ‘em. They lasted a measly two days in my son’s shoes. Seriously… two days and they busted.
More than 6 months later, after nearly giving up the search, I came across Greeper Laces. Wow! They work!
They aren’t elastic – they’re real laces, made of the same material as normal laces.
Follow up:
I liked these laces so much that I contacted the company to let them know what a huge difference these made in the life of my son. They are such a game-changer for people with disabilities that the company agreed to let me sell them on Autism Epicenter. If you want some, just buy ‘em from our little online store. When you do, a portion of your purchase price goes to a family dealing with autism – my own!
The Greeper motto is “Once applied, always tied.” And it’s true. You only have to lace up a pair of shoes one time and they’re good to go.
Once the laces are installed, you pull the tab (little white pull tab in the pictures) down to loosen the laces. To tighten them, just pull the little grommets on the loops.
When normal laces frustrate kids with special needs, Greeper Laces build confidence and independence. Not to mention that once these things are installed the parents’ days of stooping to tie your kid’s shoes are over. Gotta love that!
See the shoes in the pictures? Those are mine. I fitted them with Greepers. I needed to make sure they were good reliable laces, and they are.
Though Greeper Laces comes with written and visual instructions on how to install them, the first time I fitted them into my son’s shoes they came undone. They came undone because I cut the laces far too short on the ends after tying the knot. When you install them, don’t make the same mistake. Be sure to leave an inch or more of lace on the ends so that when the knot loosens it doesn’t come undone. And tuck the extra into the sides of the shoe so it’s hidden and looks clean.
Also, when installing the little plastic component toward the end (the goodie that covers the knot) make sure the laces come over the outside of the lace holes. That will ensure the plastic goodie stays upward facing.
When I first installed the plastic goodie on my son’s shoes I did it incorrectly. And the darn thing kept flipping upside down, revealing my square knot beneath. If you want the laces to look nice and clean make sure you do it right!
These laces are marketed to athletes, not children with special needs. And I like that. I gotta keep my kid cool!
If you’re the parent of a child with special needs you can understand how ecstatic I am about these! I want my boy to have shoes that look just like every other kid’s shoes – sporty, trendy, fashionably cool! And since Greepers come in many different colors and flavors now my boy can wear whatever shoes he wants. It’s good to be shoe independent.
And I love the color selection! (Did I mention that already?) Take it from another parent, these are the laces you’ve been searching for! Down Syndrome, Autism, or any disability that impairs motor skills… Greeper Laces are the answer to tying shoes… and looking sporty!