When prompted to think about the amount of time spent in a lifetime tying up footwear, most people would shudder. It takes a thought like that to really understand how much time these seemingly insignificant actions take, but it takes innovations like the PowerLacing system invented by the Powerteam to truly do something about it.
The Powerlace auto-lacing sneakers take advantage of this technology. The slim-profiled sneakers feature a heel presser attached to a lacing system connected to the tongue. As a user presses down on the heel, the high-quality laces lock into place and ensure a snug fit every time, and are rated to be good for over 200,000 lacing cycles. To disengage the laces, a small lever on the back of each sneaker is pressed down. True innovation is found within the Powerlaces as there isn’t a single battery, motor, spring, or gear to be found, minimizing the risk of malfunction. In addition, the sneakers are breathable, waterproof, and washable, and also come in grey, orange, green or blue. A pair of Powerlaces costs $175 CAD (~$154), and provided the campaign reaches their $650,000 (~$571,700) goal, backers should expect their own by May 2015.
The Powerlace auto-lacing sneakers are the result of extremely smart thinking. Without a single moving part, the technology manages to do such a simple task effectively to the marvel of people everywhere. It’s surprising another more established company hasn’t thought of this first, but after this gains attention, they sure will.