After I bought these Adidas hiking shoes, the laces started shredding less than a year after I bought them. The outer sheath was done and I needed to replace them before they ripped off in my hand on a trip. That kind of failure could ruin a trip.
I remembered seeing a post for the Tough Laces on BPL and I ordered these at the same time that I bought the UltraGlide Bear Line. I wanted to abuse them for at least a season before writing about them.
I’m happy to report they’re beasts that will easily outlive this shoe. Hopefully they’ll fit the next pair I buy sometime this fall/winter. They are thick, strong, and for whatever reason they don’t slip at all. I usually tie my shoes in a double knot, however I tried a regular bow and they don’t come untied. This past weekend I hiked 20 miles in one day and they did not come untied to my recollection.
Also, when you are tightening your shoes, they hold the tension well. Meaning, if you pull on the laces to tighten them up, then let go… they stay and don’t loosen back up. It sounds weird to say but it makes tightening and keeping your shoes fitting snugly easier.
I clean them periodically by taking them outside, loosening the laces, and hosing them down with my garden hose. They clean up pretty well and look as good as new when I’m done. As far as I can tell there’s no sign of fraying of damage sustained to the laces since I’ve been using them (since late May). The aglets (things on the end of the lace) seem burly and are made of some kind of metal, not plastic or tape.
Here’s a couple of pics:
The ToughLaces cost me $10.75 for the length I needed including shipping. Pull out your boot/shoe strings and measure to see how much you need to order. Its a pretty good deal considering they will outlive the shoes I have them in. As I’ve said before, I’m loathe to spend money needlessly but I will shell out cash for gear that lasts. Tought Laces fit the bill for me.
.douchepacker. 