Velcro shoes, help?

[SerendipitousFoxley]

My boy is off to secondary this September. He is (I think) dyspraxic (I am, and he shows a lot of the same symptoms as I do, I will see if I can get him assessed). We have tried very very hard to teach him to do shoelaces but he can't do it, and gets very very frustrated and upset. On top of this he's had issues with ingrowing toenails (he wore shoes two sizes too small before we realised, because he "likes them that way") and the podiatrist told us slip on shoes are not good for them because the toes tend to be narrower to make up for having no fastenings.

So, getting to the point, will he be teased for having velcro shoes in year 7?

My son had Velcro shoes all through secondary school (SN/coordination issues) I knew slip on shoes wouldn't support his feet good either. Tbh I don't think most people notice. PE would be the only time and in secondary school they have to changed so quickly I doubt anyone would. Incidentally for trainers/football boots I got no-tie laces so that removed problems there.

you can get elastic shoe fasteners that you can use instead of laces. would that be ok for him? you get them in sports shops.

Like the springy laces PitchFork ? Or are there different ones? I will have a look...

they are called 'lock laces'

My son is Dyspraxic and had Velcro shoes in year 7 but by the end of the year we were struggling to find shoes in his size with Velcro. We bought lock laces to start with, but then moved to elasticated laces which you fasten like normal shoes (stick a double knot in) and they can just skip their feet in and out. He much prefers these as the lock laces look too different and people noticed them which he hated. Best place for elasticated and lock laces is Amazon.

My daughter is younger but has a habit of not untying laces on her trainers so I brought some hickies which are rubberised fasteners you put in instead of laces making them a slip in but with the same support you would get from a lace up shoe. You can get them in all sorts of colours including black so these might be an option. You can buy direct or Amazon sell them!

My son wore Velcro in year 7 as they were the only style that fitted in the shop. He wasn't the only one. I don't think any one pays that much attention.

DS2 is going into Y10. He knows how to tie laces but struggles to tie them tight enough for the shoes to stay on, due to his hypermobility. He's happy to have lock laces on his trainers, but prefers the elastic laces with knots in for his school shoes, as they look more like normal laces.

I know boys who wore Velcro all through year 7. Clarks make Velcro shoes up to a size 10 in the boys range so people must wear them. My Y6 does.

You could try....
Nike flyease trainers

Lock Laces which I think were designed for triathletes for quick on/off shoes?

Has he tried Backward chaining to try to learn laces.... I used this with DS1 this year (age 10 and has finally learned to tie laces...something he is very proud of)

Ooh some brilliant suggestions here! The lock laces look v cool. I'm off to Amazon then!
Also very good to hear that others wear Velcro. He's not raised it as an issue to be fair it's more my own neurosis about it! All he's interested in is getting the shopping over and done with as quickly as possible!
Thanks so much.

My son will have velcro shoes for year seven. He finds laces tricky coordination wise.
Elastic type laces here as well for football boots/ non velcro trainers.
Don't think kids have taken much notice up to now.

Ds1 has lock laces for both his football boots and trainers. Velcro was very common in his year 7.

I think lock laces are less discreet than silicone laces which come in black. Have a look at these ones www.ebay.co.uk/bhp/no-tie-shoe-laces

My DS used lace lock style and had a much better time with them.

He's also making progress with lace tying using the first method on this link. He's just going into year 8. There are lots of other ways on it to try and help.

dyspraxiakids.com/how-to-tie-shoelaces/

Can your ds manage a zip? My ds uses greepers They are real laces which you just pull up or pull down. They come in various styles for shoes, trainers, boots etc and different colours too.

My DS (no SN, just lazy- sigh) had the same style of Velcro shoes from y4 to y11. He's just about to go into 6 th form and has declared he wants a different style. No teasing from anyone. School bags seemed to be much more of a target...

Hickies are good
Lots of videos on YouTube with backwards chaining (and various other methods )for tying laces...
Might be worth a go.
Is he a leftie? Ds only (finally!!) got it when another leftie showed him how to do it

i've seen a lot of new options for no tie shoelaces out there ... velcro is so old school. one of the easiest I've seen are called laceez. they make shoes slip on, no fiddling. they have their elastic shoelaces here

My Ds has the same issues, the high school he attends are very particular about the footwear but he struggles with his feet rolling inwards so needs boots. He opted for some shoes that are laced up but have a zip on the inside (not sure if your Ds can manage zips?). He had to have them in a larger size because they go narrower at the ends (not winkle picker narrow mind) but he finds them really spacious and comfy. When he comes home I will have a look at the make and let you know.

DD is only just turned 7 but due to a need for very specific shoes we have only been able to get laces shoes for a couple of years now and no way could she cope with tying them up. I bought elastic laces from amazon that come with a toggle and she loves them. They come in different colours so we can have her home shoes a little more personalised than school and she finds them very easy. My only advice is to have a few spare in the drawer as when they go you need to be able to replace them with the same then and there or shoes become suddenly a real pain!

DS in year 11 wears velcro shoes as he still can't tie laces. He has the Clarks ones and they go up to size 11 (which is what he is now). He has lock laces for his trainers though. He's never had any problems.

DS worn Velcro shoes for 4 years at secondary, wasn't mentioned by teacher or pupil.

They moved to laces purely because couldn't get Velcro in the size. All that happened was they were used as slip-on's, laces were permanently tied. Seems quite common.

My DS is 15 and wears these - he's never had any issues.

www.thehut.com/mens-footwear-shoes/kickers-men-s-troiko-strap-shoes-black/11255564.html?utm_source=googleprod&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=gp_clothing&affil=thggpsad&switchcurrency=GBP&shippingcountry=GB&gclid=CKiujMX2qNACFUW4Gwod6I4NYA&gclsrc=aw.ds&dclid=CJ-VncX2qNACFegT0wodpOsJjA&variation=11255565