SnugLug Shoelace Replacement System (Parametric)

Several years ago, I got tired of constantly having to stoop down to put on my shoes. Tying laces just feels so… Medieval. For a while, I experimented with a variety of "stretchy lace" solutions, but they were far more expensive than regular laces, they wore out quickly, and they were only available in a few colors.

So when my latest pair wore out again, I decided to design a simple, customizable, and cheap solution. I call them SnugLugs, and it's all based on the magic of elastic bands. Specifically, those hair-tie elastics for little girls. Did you know that they come in a mind-bending variety of colors and styles? And talk about cheap! One bag of 1000 hair ties in 20 different colors cost me about $5. (I like the ones that are about 15mm in diameter, and about 1mm thick.)

Instructions

Measure your lace holes carefully and adjust the model so that your lugs will be a very snug fit. Then just remove your laces, print out a dozen SnugLugs, and push them into the holes. You can fill all the lace holes if you like, but I find that doing just the top 2 or 3 is plenty.

Pro Tip #1: Print 1 SnugLug at first and test the fit in your lace holes, adjusting the model as necessary, before printing out more.

Pro Tip #2: If the lugs go in easily, you made them too small. You want to be cursing a bit from the effort of getting them inserted or they'll just pop out again at some inconvenient time.

Once the lugs are in place, connect them in pairs using the elastics. For my current shoes, I find that 3 elastics for each lug-pair gives me the right snugness, but your mileage will vary depending on the elastics you buy, the size of your shoe, and your specific comfort preferences.

If you chose thicker elastics, or need more than 3 per lug pair, you might need to make the square trap pocket larger to accommodate them.