Many parents doubt whether they should opt for footwear with laces or velcro shoes for kids. So let’s clear it right away, both types of closures have their pros and cons and are good in one way or another for your kid.
Today, we will state the obvious reasons why you should choose one or another, state the advantages of Velcro footwear, and summarize the whole story. Let’s dive in!
Contents
What are Velcro Shoes?
Velcro footwear is shoes that use Velcro straps for closure instead of laces. This type of footwear is usually a running shoe featuring soft upper material and a rubber sole. Initially, these shoes are designed for sporting activities, and they have become trendy in casual settings as well.
The Velcro fastener is designed to keep two materials firmly connected but allow them to be easily undone as well. Back in 1941, George de Mestral got the inspiration for making these shoes after walking his dog outside, removing burrs from its coat.
Velcro shoes for kids have a vast number of applications. However, there were challenges in the manufacture of the product that delayed its success.
Moreover, Velcro shoes weren’t widely accepted until 1978. Thus, Asian manufacturers produced Velcro products at a more affordable level and encouraged their use in industries and commercial products. Due to this change and improvements in the manufacturing process, Velcro became one of the most popular reusable fasteners available.
This type of sneakers was prevalent in the mid-’80s among kids and older people. And it was all thanks to the ease and security of the closure. During the time when Velcro sneakers were a significant hit, women with small kids were increasingly returning to full-time work. At this point, daycare was widely available and more acceptable. Thus, Velcro shoes were an excellent solution for kids with limited dexterity who struggle to tie their laces just yet.
It is obvious why our kids are consumers of shoes such as these, but also seniors are big-time users of these shoes. A shoe with rubber soles provides a firmer footing, and Velcro locks the shoe securely without bending down to tie laces. Besides this, these shoes can’t come undone like laces and cause a trip-and-fall situation.
The Advantages of Velcro Shoes
As we already mentioned, Velcro stands for a type of closure for shoes, also known as a hook and loop fastener. These fasteners have a wide range of practical applications and are available in various lengths and colors. Now, let’s check their main advantages!
Great strength
Velcro is an extremely sturdy material that can support a great deal of weight.
For instance, a two-inch strip can support 79.4 kg. This strength is based on the surface area in contact with the hooks, the force pushing the two pieces of fabric apart, and the amount of contact between the hooks and the loops. Because vibration improves the link between the two components and increases the strength of the fastening, Velcro is occasionally used to fix vehicle body panels.
Ease to use
When both sides of the Velcro fabric are locked together, they’ll stay untouched for an extended period without any additional effort. Considering that just a small number of hooks are being pulled, it is also relatively simple to open them. As a result, Velcro closure in different kids’ shoes helps children to put on and take the shoes off easily. In addition, Velcro typically has an adhesive backing, making it relatively simple to stick it to practically any surface. Apart from kids’ shoes, Velcro closure can be used when tightening kids’ pants, clothing repair, different home crafts, and other various uses.
Easy-care footwear
Overall, there is hardly any efficiency loss when the kid removes the hooks from the loop materials. This implies that you may seal and tear the fabric as much as you want without worrying to replace them. The only thing you need to do is to clean thread and lint from the hook side because they tend to accumulate rapidly. Overall, that’s the only cleaning of kids’ shoes you need to do!
Variety of uses
Besides using Velcro for kids bathing sandals, and other types of footwear, Velcro closure has a variety of uses! To be precise, believe it or not, Velcro was the closure that held together the first artificial human heart! Additionally, NASA makes heavy use of Velcro to secure items in place when the space shuttles are in zero-gravity environments. Also, The United States Air Force’s flying suits are patched together using Velcro. Wow, what material!
Are Velcro Shoes Fashionable?
Parents should always put fashion and design in last, and comfortability and security of the kid’s shoes at first place. However, we’re not here to judge because we, too, like that our kids have shoes in a nice design that maybe also match with their clothes.
So, whether you are shopping for basketball shoes, dress footwear, or sports shoes for kids, we want them to be at least appealing to the eye. Thus, when it comes to Velcro shoes, many parents wonder if they are fashionable. The short answer is yes. Luckily, many companies provide Velcro shoes for kids. This means that parents have an option to choose from a wide range of Velcro footwear.
Velcro sneakers offer a hassle-free alternative to laces while also inspiring exciting retro looks from the 80s and 90s. In recent years, the category has evolved beyond the orthopedic-looking variants created for those with mobility concerns.
How to Choose Velcro Shoes for Kids?
Thanks to closures such as Velcro, kids can easily put on and take off their shoes without any assistance of adults. And as time goes by, kids can slowly start learning how to tie their shoes with laces.
Velcro footwear is pretty durable and reliable and guarantees a tight fit around the kid’s little feet while providing decent support.
When you want to buy your kids shoes with Velcro closure, here are a couple of things to consider:
- Make sure the Velcro is secured to the sneaker using the correct method – hence, it should be sewn into the footwear.
- Try to avoid glue; it is sure a quicker but not a better method. If it is glued, it soon becomes undone over time, as it cannot withstand the pulling that is required to secure the shoe.
- Check the quality of materials. Due to the lack of laces, the shoe’s sidewalls need to be fairly firm.
When Should Your Kids Start Wearing Shoes with Laces
The answer really depends on the kid itself; however, children usually do not have fine motor skills until they are 5. This means that once your kid is 5 and up, you can start teaching them to tie their shoes. Up until then, Velcro footwear is perfectly fine!
Luckily, there is a number of ways to teach your kids to tie shoelaces in a fun and easy method. We also recommend to look out for the ones with thicker laces since they are easier to maneuver.
While some kids will learn to tie their shoes are the age of 5, some will do it at the age of 7 or even older. It’s crucial to remember that some kids even struggle with tying their shoes’ laces by the time they’re 9 or 10 years old. Bare in mind that kids have their own opinion and sometimes that can be the cause. For instance, your kid would probably learn to tie their laces if they really liked their shoes. In reverse, they will refuse it, so make sure that you ask for their opinion when shopping for new footwear.
So do not rush or pressure your kids since each one is different and has its own development pace.
Here are a few tips you should know if your kid still wears Velcro shoes: A 10-year-old kid often wears shoes in sizes 3½; this, of course, can vary. A kid will be in a situation to either choose a shoe with laces or think about an alternate closure, like a toggle shoelace. This is because once your kid’s wearing 3½, the variety of shoes with Velcro closure become very restricted to nonexistent.
In Conclusion
Velcro shoes for kids are types of footwear that have a hook and loop closure. They are very convenient for little kids since they are able to put them on and take them off hassle-free. This mainly refers to kids younger than five since they still do not have finely developed motor skills for shoes with laces.
Also, these shoes never run out of style because many companies craft them in various designs and colors.
