Apparatus, system, and method for locking laces

A lace lock for an elastic lace comprising an elongate body, wherein the elongate body is stretchable between a non-stretched configuration and a stretched configuration, wherein the elastic lace comprises (i) an elongate body having a first end and a second end, and (ii) first and second toggles disposed on the respective first and second ends of the elongate body, each of the first and second toggles comprising a first end portion secured to a respective one of the first and second ends of the elongate body and a second end portion movable from a first position that is aligned with the elongate body to a second position that is spaced from the elongate body, the lace lock comprising a unitary body having first and second sides, the unitary body comprising first and second channels extending from the first side to the second side of the unitary body with each of the first and second channels comprising a lip along at least a portion thereof;

• wherein each of the first and second channels is sized and dimensioned to permit the first and second ends of the elongate body to pass through either of the respective channels from the first side to the second side of the unitary body with the first and second toggles in the first position, and wherein the respective lips of the first and second channels are configured and arranged to engage respective of the first and second toggles with the first and second toggles in the second position when the first and second ends of the elongate body have passed through the respective first and second channels and respective forces pull on the respective first and second ends of the elongate body toward removal of the respective first and second ends from the respective first and second channels, and wherein, with the shoelace threaded through the eyelets in a shoe, with the first and second ends of the elongate body passed through the respective first and second channels of the unitary body and with the respective lips of the first and second channels engaging the respective first and second ends of the elongate body with the respective first and second toggles in the second position, the respective lips secure the respective first and second ends of the elongate body in place and prevent them from being pulled out of the respective first and second channels of the unitary body when the respective forces pull on the respective first and second ends toward their removal, wherein the unitary body comprises opposing top and bottom sides that are disposed substantially transverse to the first and second sides, wherein each of the top and bottom sides comprises respective first and second grooves along at least a portion of a length thereof, and wherein the respective lips of the first and second channels are disposed in respective bottoms of the first and second grooves in the top and bottom sides of the unitary body.

A method for making a shoelace of a predetermined size for matching to a shoe comprising a plurality of sets of opposing eyelets, the method comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a spool of lace to be cut into shoelaces of the predetermined size, wherein the lace has an elasticity that allows it to stretch from an unstretched configuration to a stretched configuration;
• (b) determining a length of each of the shoelaces according to the following equation:
• Length
• =
• (
• e
• ×
• 2
• ×
• 0.125
• )
• +
• bes
• +
• 2
• *
• (
• bes
• 2
• +
• edist
• 2
• )
• +
• 2
• *
• (
• bes
• +
• Span
• ⁢
• Δ
• )
• 2
• +
• edist
• 2
• +
• 2
• *
• (
• bes
• +
• 2
• *
• Span
• ⁢
• Δ
• )
• 2
• +
• edist
• 2
• +
• 2
• *
• (
• bes
• +
• 3
• *
• Span
• ⁢
• Δ
• )
• 2
• +
• edist
• 2
• +
• 2
• *
• (
• bes
• +
• 4
• *
• Span
• ⁢
• Δ
• )
• 2
• +
• edist
• 2
• ,
• wherein
• e=a number of sets of eyelets of the shoe,
• tes=a top eyelet span of the shoe,
• bes=a bottom eyelet span of the shoe,
• edist=an eyelet spacing distance of the shoe,
• Span Δ=tes−bes, and
• pe Δ=per eyelet span Δ=Span Δ÷(e−1);
• (c) cutting the lace from the spool of lace into a plurality of the shoelaces of the desired length, with each of the plurality of shoelaces comprising a first end and a second end;
• (d) attaching a first toggle to the first end of each of the plurality of shoelaces with a first portion of the first toggle attached to the first end of each of the plurality of shoelaces and a second portion of the first toggle free to move between a first position aligned with the shoelace and a second position spaced from the shoelace;
• and
• (e) attaching a second toggle to the second end of each of the plurality of shoelaces with a first portion of the second toggle attached to second end of each of the plurality of shoelaces and a second portion of the second toggle free to move between a first position aligned with the shoelace and a second position spaced from the shoelace.