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Mother Natures Son
12-11-2010, 07:30
While ordering some safety glasses for work, I noticed something that had me wondering why? In the boot section of this industrial supply catalog, I noticed Kevlar boot laces! (Yes the same stuff that bulletproof vests are made out of) Aren't all boot laces the same? Would Kevar make the laces last longer or grip better?:banana

njordan2
12-11-2010, 09:25
The best shoelaces I have used, and still use, are genuine 550 paracord.

They come in handy if you need string. 550 cord has 5 to 7 strands of fairly strong string in them that can be pulled out and used. Then the sheath part of the cord can still be used as shoestrings even without the inner strands.

niners
12-11-2010, 10:18
Kevlar boot laces will last much longer. They are also much stiffer than regular laces, so they can make it more difficult to get a tight fit on your boots. All the Kevlar cord I have seen still has a nylon or polyester cover over the Kevlar fibers. That cover will wear out before the Kevlar and can also make it difficult to get a tight fit.

jlb2012
12-11-2010, 10:44
The best shoelaces I have used, and still use, are genuine 550 paracord.

They come in handy if you need string. 550 cord has 5 to 7 strands of fairly strong string in them that can be pulled out and used. Then the sheath part of the cord can still be used as shoestrings even without the inner strands.

I also use gutted 550 cord but I found that it tends to come untied easier than desired so I use a cord lock instead of tied laces - I have found that I much prefer the use of the cord lock over tied shoe laces - its real easy to adjust and when I loosen them all the way the cord lock approach keeps the laces up so I can use the shoes as slip-ons (ie camp shoes) without tripping on the laces - it is also much faster to tighten.

One nice thing about 550 cord is that it will out last the shoes - I'll often use the same cord for two or three replacement shoes.

wornoutboots
12-11-2010, 11:21
My Keens come with shoe laces that are crimped every 1/2" or so, so that they do not come untied. I thought this was ingenius

garlic08
12-11-2010, 12:08
I suppose if you have a job where a broken shoe lace is a matter of being safe or not, Kevlar makes sense. I can't quite figure out what that job is, but I'm sure there is one. Wildland firefighting comes to mind, but if your laces are burning you have more important issues than keeping your boots on tight.

I have a similar question. When was the last time you needed to replace shoelaces? When I was a kid, it was smart to have an extra pair at home, at school, etc, and every dime store and drug store sold them at the counter. It's been decades since I've had to put new laces in a pair of shoes. I don't know if laces have gotten better or shoes have gotten so they fall apart before the laces do. I suspect the latter.

My latest pair of New Balance 813s also have that crimping. I didn't realize what it was for. Come to think of it, it did seem to work OK on my latest desert hike, three days on the AZT. Very nice.

M1 Thumb
12-11-2010, 12:45
Kevlar laces would be used in a work environment where sharp debris is a constant (example - a glass/lamp plant).

waywardfool
12-11-2010, 13:52
Kevlar laces work good for weldors, so slag doesn't burn thru the laces. Other than that...

I did break a lace yesterday, out of the blue while walking the dog, in my hiking boots.

Spokes
12-11-2010, 14:31
The Soloman XA Pro line of trailshoes use an asymmetrical lacing system utilizing kevlar. REI now sells a replacement kit (http://www.rei.com/product/722159).

They're strong and last longer than the shoes. BTW, always tuck the end loop into the tongue cup to avoid injury from snags while on the trail. I've heard many a mountain bike rider has been snatched of his/her bike after getting the shoe loops caught on trail debris.............. YIKES!!!