Shoe laces might seem like something unusual to review. Caterpy No-Tie Shoe Laces were originally designed for runners. But if you’re a rider who prefers lace-up cycling shoes, they are a different way to adjust tension/fit. And they don’t have to be tied!
Caterpy No-Tie shoe laces come in two different varieties: Caterpy Run and Caterpy Air. As the name implies, the Run laces are designed for running and sports performance. The Air shoe laces share the same technology as the Run laces but are designed for a clean and minimal aesthetic. PEZ got the Caterpy Run laces since they are intended for “sports performance” to see if they would work in lace-up cycling shoes.
Per Caterpy:
- IMPROVE SHOE FIT & COMFORT: Do your feet hurt? Our elastic laces decrease pain by offloading pressure on the dorsal foot neurovascular bundle while maintaining a proper shoe fit.
- ZERO HARDWARE REQUIRED: Caterpy laces are extremely easy to install. There’s no extra hardware to install. You just lace up once normally and never need to touch your laces again. The laces can be reused/swapped anytime!
- TURN ANY SHOE INTO SLIP-ONS: Transform your favorite pair of shoes into slip-on shoes. Take your shoes on and off without readjusting laces every day, and avoid breaking the heel of your shoe from cramming your foot into it.
- ADJUSTABLE TENSION IN EVERY ROW: Our patented elastic bump technology secures tension in each row of the shoe. This allows you to create customized tension throughout all eyelets, instead of relying on a single knot or plastic piece.
The bumps on the laces hold tension and won’t slip
Before seeing if the Caterpy Run laces would work with cycling shoes, I familiarized myself with them as intended, i.e., in a pair of running shoes I use for walking. Threading the Run laces with all their bumps through all the eyelets wasn’t difficult, but also not quite as easy as a regular pair of shoe laces.
Once the laces are threaded, you adjust the tension to your liking so that the shoe fits the way you want it to. Getting the tension right takes a little fiddling and was a trial-and-error process for me.
TOP: No-tie Run laces (before adjusting the tension). BOTTOM: Regular laces.
Tensioned to my liking and the with the excess lace tucked in
The Caterpy Run laces worked as advertised. Once I had the laces adjusted the way I wanted them, I was able to easily slip my shoes on and they were as snug around my feet as if I had laced and tied a traditional pair of shoe laces. And I could just as easily slip my feet out of the shoes. Pretty cool, eh? 😎
But would the Caterpy Run laces work in cycling shoes where getting the right tension is important to be able to keep your feet “locked” in the shoes (but without cutting off circulation or otherwise causing discomfort)? I have a pair of UDOG CIMA lace-up shoes to put them to the test.
One thing worth noting is that the UDOG CIMA laces aren’t a “conventional” criss-cross pattern across all the eyelets. So threading the Caterpy Run laces through all the eyelets to follow the pattern was a little more involved/time consuming.
It’s also worth nothing that even if your shoes came laced “conventionally,” Caterpy laces can be configured in a variety of different patterns to “manage” how tension is distributed.
One shoe done!
Just as it was trial-and-error to get the tension adjusted with my running shoes, the same was true for the UDOG CIMAs. But even more so because I found that I needed different tensions for different eyelet pairs. Such is the genius of Caterpy’s patented “bumps” that hold tension. In effect, they act much like click stops on a BOA dial.
Where the Caterpy Run laces are different in my UDOG CIMAs from my running shoes is that they aren’t true Full Monty “no tie” laces that turned my cycling shoes into slip-ons. By design (to be able to hold your feet securely in place), cycling shoes need to be “opened up” to create enough room/space for your feet to get in and out of them, but once your feet are in closed and cinched down tightly (but still comfortably) enough to prevent heel lift/slip. So the way I ended up using the Caterpy Run laces in my UDOG CIMAs:
I adjusted the tension of the Run laces the way I wanted them except for the top two eyelets, which I left “loose” to be able to get my foot in the shoe
I could slide my foot in just like I would with regular laces
Tension down the laces through the eyelets second from the top
Tension down the laces through the top eyelets
Tuck the excess lace ends into the pouch
Fold the pouch over and slip it under the retaining strap … Voila!
Reverse the process to get my foot out. Like I said, not Full Monty “no tie” in that I can’t just slip my foot in and out of the shoes without having to loosen the laces. But definitely different and kinda cool IMHO. Click stops like a BOA dial but with shoe laces.
Feets don’t fail me now!
Of course, the real proof in the pudding is how the Caterpy Run laces worked in cycling shoes riding a bike. The weather has been a bit shite, so my initial test rides were indoors on my Wahoo KICKR BIKE SHIFT. The Caterpy Run laces passed with flying colors: my feet felt firmly, but comfortably “locked” in my shoes. No movement or heel lift.
I subsequently did some shorter (20-30 mile) outdoor rides in my UDOG CIMAs with Caterpy Run laces and it was just more of the same. One of those rides was my Wednesday Night Hill Ride aka WNHR aka Peña Peña aka Pain Party and the Caterpy Run laces did the job of keeping me feet steady in my shoes putting down watts in and out of the saddle.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say the Caterpy Run laces were a game changer in my UDOG CIMA cycling shoes. At least not in the same sense they were in my running shoes by turning them into slip-on/off shoes. But even though they weren’t designed for cycling shoes, they work well in my cycling shoes. The laces can be tensioned tightly, but it’s “elastic” tension versus absolutely “rigid” tension. So there’s some “give” that results in both better fit and comfort. #marginalgains
One advantage/thing you don’t have to worry about is that the Caterpy Run laces can’t come undone like traditional shoe laces. So if you’re riding lace-up cycling shoes and want to add some “high tech” to “old school” shoes, Caterpy Run laces could be the ‘droids you’re looking for.
Note: If you have other experiences with gear or something to add, drop us a line. We don’t claim to know everything (we just imply it at times). Give us a pat on the back if you like the reviews or a slap in the head if you feel the need!
PezCycling News and the author ask that you contact the manufacturers before using any products you see here. Only the manufacturer can provide accurate and complete information on proper/safe use, handling, maintenance, and or installation of products as well as any conditional information or product limitations.
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