U-Lace Makes Sneaker Customization Quick & Easy with New, Modular Lacing Technology

Feb. 3, 2010 - PRLog -- "U-Lace was created to empower consumers with a means of truly “owning” their own look and expressing their creativity while wearing a limited edition or mass produced sneaker," says U-Lace founder and C.E.O. Tim Talley.

U-Lace allows sneaker aficionado’s the ability to quickly and easily hook their sneakers back to other fashion items (tees, jackets, hats, bags, hoodies, shirts – the hook up are limitless. “It’s all about the hook-up.” Says Talley who also carries the title C.L.O. Chief Lacing Officer at U-Lace.

The easy to use shoelace modules come in 2 1/4" segments designed to fit perfectly between two separate eyelets of virtually any sneaker.  The U-Lace “segments” were engineered over a year-long process that created the perfect amount of stretch (needed to execute dozens of patterns) and rebound (needed to give the shoe a hand laced feel and secured fit).

Available in 29 colors and 10 multiple-color packs, U-Lace allows the wearer to fully customize their sneakers in a trendy new look in the same time it used to take to lace up their sneakers using ordinary shoelaces.  Every set of eyelets is a opportunity for wearers to pick a new lace color and/or lacing pattern and U-Lace is so adaptable and functional the shoes still fit snugly for athletic competition.

"The goal was to create visual impact and to create a sense of uniqueness in a manner that was both economical and easy to use," states Talley of the design behind U-Lace. “With 29 current colors and 36 lacing patterns - there are now over 7 trillion color & lacing pattern combinations – 2,648 for every man woman and child on the face of the earth.  And the company will add new colors each season.  

U-Lace is currently distributed in 20 countries throughout the globe.

Tim Talley is the founder of Okay, What's Next? a product development and innovation boutique. Prior to U-Lace and O.W.N.? Talley was the Sr. Director of Urban Fashion and Design at New Era Cap Company and also served the company’s Global Trend Spotter.  
The idea behind U-Lace was born when Talley traveled to Harajuku, Tokyo and saw a pair of sneakers laced in five different colors in a sneaker shop window. He went in to buy the sneakers, but put them back on the shelf after a closer look revealed that the enterprising boutique owner had laced 8 pairs of 36" laces into the shoe, hiding the boondoggle of laces under the tongue, creating a trendy look but making the shoes completely un-wearable.  He took that shopkeeper's innovative marketing idea one step farther, creating a one of a kind fashion accessory that's guaranteed to have people talking.

"Lace Your Kicks!" says Talley. "We make red hotness for the sneaker industry!"

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U-Lace is the worlds first and only - modular - customizing lacing system for sneakers.

U-Lace makes complicated lace-ups a thing of the past. Your kicks will look like you spent hours tricking them out when it will just take a few minutes.