Trainers without laces - help!

[sunnyfields25]

Hi, DS9 has DCD/dyspraxia and can't yet tie laces. His feet have grown and his current trainers are too small, but on ordering them in the next size up I realised he's now into adult sizes (UK3) and so they all have laces! So I bought some, added some Lock Laces and sent him off to school for PE that day. He came home with the laces flapping about his ankles, the ends of them shredded, and with a cut knee because he'd tripped over them! I've concluded Lock Laces don't work for him.

I need to urgently get some trainers with a velcro fastening as he's got more PE lessons next week plus sports day. All I can find is a pair of New Balance, which arrived today and are way too roomy, or some Adidas ones which are on their way. But if they don't fit I'm not sure what we do. And even if they do fit, they're more everyday wear than good for running trainers. He's also autistic and doing the long-distance run in sports day this year, which a really big deal for him as he's normally too distressed to take part. So the footwear stakes are pretty high!

Has anyone come across decent trainers for sporty activities that have velcro fastenings, in bigger sizes?

Thanks so much to anyone that can help, I'm desperate! 😧

Skechers slip ins or Clark’s have some tape ones in adult sizes

Look for ‘adaptive’

https://www.nike.com/gb/t/flex-runner-4-older-running-shoes-7r1a7awG/IF2893-002?_gl=11q8vz96_upMQ.._gs*MQ..&gclid=Cj0KCQjwi8nRBhDhARIsAHZf_pa0zFs0h25kNkCPo2smbtf19_EGNyuQ1MPFGavzQGkYAWELhBbDckgaAsYfEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds&gbraid=0AAAAADq9vlOwDlp6d5HH_pO6pkLl1HWGK

Something like these? You'll be able to find them cheaper, there were a few options when I searched laceless trainers on Google, my DC used to have a lot of trainers with elastic laces that you slipped on & off.

Same diagnosis here. She generally wears nike air force one high tops. They do have laces but the velcro is above and so laces can be tucked in. And they dont look like special needs shoes! I did try with various elastic laces over a few years.

You can get slip on football boots

I personally wear skechers slip ons, they are probably worth a try if he's not fashion conscious

Did you cut the lock laces to the right size? There is an end you hide the cut ends in. that clips around them so they shouldn't fray. Were they cinched up and did he know how to cinch them? They can also be tucked in so they don't flap about. There are videos on how to cut them to size and clip the ends etc.

Mine and a lot of other children had lock laces for football boots and trainers for PE, no additional needs just not nice to undo laces that are caked in mud.

Ds2 had elastic laces in his school shoes, wide ones that looked like trainer laces but allowed him to slide his feet into them.They were from Amazon. School were very strict on what shoes they could wear.

Not a named brand but Asda boys trainers go up to an adult size 6 in the Velcro trainers

if you have a store near by you may even be able to pick them up in store

DD had lock laces for years. Absolutely no issues. If sized correctly then they shouldn’t need to be adjusted - I’d give them another try as they certainly should never be flapping about etc

Next have quite a few, you can filter fastening type. The Nike ones above are on there and these addidas slip on ones are a good price.

With lock laces, most people don't need to fiddle with them once set, but they always need loads cut off when you first put them in.
I've just got a pair of the Adidas adaptive Supernova https://www.adidas.co.uk/supernova-rise-3-adaptive-running-shoes which are incredible, the first trainers I don't walk out of unless really tightly laced (hypermobile feet) and they don't need any adjustment to put on and off. Very supportive too

We used to buy the orefered trainers, then switch the laces for something like these:

https://amzn.eu/d/091V4kv5

They were a faff to put in the first time, and make sure you go too loose and shrink rather than too tight!! But worked, and didnt have the flappy end.

https://www.on.com/en-gb/products/cloud-sky-3YD1144/unisex/wolf-rock-shoes-3YD11443314?utm_source_platform=Google%20Ads&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=%5Bn%3AShopping%5D%5Bm%3AUK%5D%5Bl%3AEN%5D%5Bi%3ABrand%5D%5Bs%3AShoes%5D%5Bv%3AMix%5D&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23589985159&gbraid=0AAAAADSVac0Rmr3Waip4mH4GB6i7rhBIB&gclid=Cj0KCQjwi8nRBhDhARIsAHZf_pZHZ-CQxFM6VP34FFrFSsrAEHtOjzLgazAW7ymLdeVWNN4VZfGkU_4aAo5AEALw_wcB

The laces are elastic in these and don’t need touched at all, the trainers just slip on and are good for running

Decathlon has a few options, for example these
www.decathlon.co.uk/p/kids-lightweight-and-breathable-rip-tab-shoes-pw-540-black-grey/164271/c1c169m8392878

Thank you so so so much for these replies. I've just ordered several of the recommended trainers. Had to pay for express delivery to be sure they'll get here in time, but if I can find a pair that fit it will be worth it 😀

@WinchesterWanderer I'm pretty sure I'd done the Lock Laces up correctly as I watched the little video and followed the instructions. And DS didn't fiddle with them during the day. But somehow by the time he came out of school they were a right state. I'll try to attach a pic...

Should have said that although DS didn't fiddle with them, the PE teacher did at one point try to fasten them back up as best she could

Try elastic shoe laces in normal trainers. I wouldn't run a marathon with them, but they might work for PE

Buy normal trainers and put in elastic laces?

I can link the laces we use (autistic)

@sunnyfields25 I can see what youve done - you need to lace the trainers up like normal, then thread the little toggle thing onto both laces so they both go through the holes in it. Then you get the wearer to put them on and tighten the laces so they fit, then take them off and see how much the toggle needs to move between wearing and taking off. Then cut the laces to the taking off plus a couple of cm length, seal the end with a flame, then trap the ends in the vice like plastic bit (though frankly I find this a bit of a pig to get right and often just knot the ends firmly. I'll see if I can take a picture of mine

Nike flex runners

@sunnyfields25 brilliant photo and it really helps. Those are not lock laces, lock laces are these branded ones and are used by athletes so they don't have their laces come undone. These are much more robust. The instructions are in the images and they have 83,000 reviews. See if he gets on with these. These are the ones mine had.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/LOCK-LACES-FBA_Shoe-Shoelace-Fastening/dp/B007DLVLDY

@WinchesterWanderer Ah sorry I've realised on reading your reply what you can actually see in the picture... I had ordered the branded lock laces but when I saw them I knew DS wouldn't be able to do move the toggles if he needed to, due to motor skill challenges (but on reflection, maybe he wouldn't need to?). So I also ordered some cheaper ones with easier toggles. So in the end we had a mish-mash of branded laces and clasp at the end, but the toggles are the cheaper ones. Maybe the cheaper toggles were the issue?!

I would like to try them with the proper lock lace toggles, but I daren't send him to school with them in case they come undone and he hurts himself again. And certainly not for sports day. So we'll have to do that experiment on a weekend.

@CMOTDibbler Thanks for your reply, I know it doesn't look like it from the picture but that is how I'd actually fastened them up - all laced up properly and threaded through the correct bits. I followed all the instructions and they looked perfect when he set off for school. And he didn't need to take them off or do anything with them all day. I just can't understand what on earth happened to them to cause such carnage??!! I tried asking DS but he is oblivious to as to how they ended up in that state! 😆

Admittedly I didn't seal the ends with a flame though, and that's a really good tip about knotting the ends instead of using the plastic bit. Because they've obviously come out of that at some point.

Search for Elastic Lace trainers in Next. They have a good selection. I’ve been getting them for years for my dyspraxic, autistic son. They go up to a men’s 10.

Son has similar issues next has been our saviour these https://www.next.co.uk/style/su775037/g73813. Or these go even bigger in some colours. https://www.next.co.uk/style/sv008565/ay7521