Magnetic Laces
Neo-Fastened Fashion
After years of having shoes which had broken heel support from sliding my foot in instead of lacing and unlacing; I wanted to develop a sleek looking shoe that was modern and minimalist. Keeping the shoe lace style flaps over the tongue of the shoe kept the classic look while allowing magnet integration.
Creating a latch strong enough to hold the shoe together. yet not be susceptible to making the wearer’s foot get stuck to metal objects was a major hurdle.
This was overcome by using neodymium magnets with shielding made using high gauge steel sheets as a damper against them connecting to stray metal objects with the added benefit of enhancing strength.
Low-to-high fidelity prototypes were created and tested by myself. Seeing this project take shape in a more refined shoe was very pleasing. Although the shoemaker had never seen something like this before, she was more than happy to help as best she could and was able to accurately build my design.
The final product was a sleek and comfy low-top shoe which can be easily taken off or put on by the wearer.
AI generated promotion shot of a model wearing shoes with magnetic laces.