The Loopers™ shoelace is an innovative, patented, new shoelace whose unique velcro closing system provides the stability young children need to learn to tie their shoes independently. Children often find that learning to tie shoes is a long and frustrating experience. Parents and educators are equally frustrated at their difficulty in teaching this skill. While most children quickly manage to make the initial knot, problems arise during the next step of forming the two loops. That's when children need to hold a loop in each hand and simultaneously manipulate them to complete the bow. The loops often lose their shape and the child soon loses patience.

That's why we created Loopers. Loopers is a standard shoelace with velcro pads placed at the point where the loop is formed. The velcro helps to stabilize the loops, freeing the child to focus on manipulating and tying them. Many other shoelace devices on the market are compensatory in nature. They help the child secure their laces by using a plastic bracket or by curling the shoelace so that it keeps the shoe closed without needing to be tied. They do help keep the shoes secured, but in no way do they teach the child how to actually tie their own shoes.

Loopers was designed by an occupational therapist and mother who found shoe tying frustrating to teach, and frustrating for her clients and children to learn. Loopers is the only shoelace that successfully teaches the child the process of shoelace tying, step by step. Children learn very quickly how to generalize this skill and tie their own laces after practicing on the Loopers mini sneaker.

Recommended for:

• Preschool and kindergarten programs
• 1st–3rd grade classrooms
• Occupational therapy clinics
• Special education settings
• Home schooling
• Early intervention professionals