Since Ryder got sick last December, we have encountered a whole host of things we used to take for granted that he can no longer do on his own.  Some of those things have resolved… pulling up his own pants, writing, climbing up to his top bunk, etc.  He still needs help to put a shirt on, put toothpaste on his toothbrush, and now we’ve discovered a new issue.

We attempted to teach him to tie his shoes last summer, and when that didn’t go well, we just continued buying shoes with velcro.  No big deal.  However the bigger his feet grow, the smaller the selection of velcro shoes becomes.  We’ve been pretty picky about the kind of shoes the boys wear because it’s important to us that their feet move as naturally as possible.  So we’ve always done our shopping at Stride Rite to ensure a proper fit and high-quality, flexible shoe.  (I know everyone has their own opinions on shoes and shoe stores, I’m just sharing ours and it’s ok with me if you don’t agree.)

Anyway, Ryder’s current pair of shoes was nearing the end of its life and I knew we might have to buy shoes with <gulp!> laces, so I began to research things like “one-handed shoe tying.”  And you know that creepy Facebook feature where they magically know the stuff you search for and offer ads on your timeline based upon that stuff?  Well it actually worked out for me in this case because I stumbled upon a suggested post for these little things called Hickies. They’re little silicone loops that replace traditional shoelaces, so there’s no need to tie and retie laces (over and over again a thousand times an hour!), or untangle knots.  They come in all kinds of really fun colors, and are available for adults and kids at a really reasonable price.  There are several different ways you can “lace” your shoes, based upon personal fit preferences, and they’re very easy to install.Ryder chose the blue and yellow set (Go BVCS Lions!), which shipped to us in less than a week.  We’ve only had them for a couple of days, but I’m already totally sold.  They brighten up a regular ol’ pair of tennis shoes and showcase Ryder’s personality.  They’re also comfortable and secure.  But more importantly, they give our little one-armed wonder the independence to put his shoes on quickly and easily, all by himself.  Plus, there’s no tripping hazard because they don’t come untied.  So he can slip his shoes on and play worry-free… which makes one less thing that I have to worry about 🙂

***Disclaimer: I have not been compensated for this post in any way.  I’m simply writing a review about a product I purchased on my own and happen to enjoy.