Best Shoe-Tying Tools for Kids
Best Shoe-Tying Tools for Kids
If your child is learning to tie shoes and keeps getting frustrated, the right tool can make a huge difference. The goal is not to avoid shoe tying forever. The goal is to give your child enough support to practice the real skill successfully.
The best shoe-tying tools help children see the steps, hold progress, reduce confusion, and build independence.
What makes shoe tying hard for kids?
Shoe tying is hard because it combines fine motor skills, two-handed coordination, sequencing, tension control, and frustration tolerance. Many kids can do one step, but the laces collapse before they can finish the next step.
That repeated restart is where a lot of children give up.
Common shoe-tying tools
Two-color laces
Two-color laces make instructions easier because each lace has a clear visual identity. Instead of saying “this lace” and “that lace,” you can say “red lace” or “blue lace.”
Practice boards
Practice boards help kids learn the general sequence, but they do not always transfer perfectly to real shoes because boards do not move like actual footwear.
Velcro shoes
Velcro shoes are convenient, but they replace the shoe-tying skill instead of teaching it.
No-tie elastic laces
No-tie laces can help with speed and accessibility, but they are not designed to teach the child how to tie real laces.
Training Ties® checkpoint tool
Training Ties® is a teacher-invented shoe-tying tool that works on real shoes. It creates checkpoints that help hold the laces in place at the exact moments where shoe tying usually falls apart.
Why checkpoint support is different
Most kids do not need more reminders. They need the laces to stop collapsing while they are learning. Training Ties helps preserve progress so kids can pause, think, and finish without starting over every time.
Best tool by situation
- Visual confusion: Try two-color laces.
- Loops keep collapsing: Try Training Ties®.
- Early sequence practice: Try a practice board, then move to real shoes.
- Accessibility or speed: Consider no-tie laces, but know they do not teach tying.
- Classroom or OT practice: Use a real-shoe scaffold like Training Ties®.
Related shoe-tying guides
- How to teach a child to tie shoes
- Shoe-tying help for autism, ADHD, and fine motor support
- Shoe-tying tools for teachers and OTs
- Training Ties vs. Velcro shoes
FAQ
What is the best shoe-tying tool for kids?
The best tool depends on the child. If the laces keep collapsing, Training Ties is designed to hold progress in place while the child practices the real skill.
Are two-color laces helpful?
Yes. Two-color laces can reduce confusion and make verbal instructions easier to follow.
Do Velcro shoes teach shoe tying?
No. Velcro shoes are useful for convenience, but they bypass the skill rather than teaching it.
Can shoe-tying tools help children with fine motor delays?
They can. Tools that reduce frustration and support step-by-step practice can be helpful for children working on fine motor skills.