Looking for footwear that is comfortable, practical, and stylish-for-a cause --all bundled in one?
Try on Plae’s blue and green Mulberry! Plae's blue and green Mulberry is a limited-edition sneaker with a patented closure system, patented 3D printable inner soles, and 100% proceeds earmarked for The SF Battery’s Battery Powered philanthropic program.
The patented closure system, trademarked STAELACE™, is recited in the US patent application US2017112237 titled Footwear closure system. The invention comprises a lacing system that can be adjusted for tension, and secured without a bow, using a single hand. The invention primarily addresses the difficulty of tying, loosening and tightening shoelaces, for kids, disabled adults, and the elderly. The invention also addresses the risks of loosened and untied shoelaces. Thus, the patent recites an improved lacing system, comprising a customizable button for tethering and untethering the laces, and a slider in the back of the shoe to adjust the tension of the laces.
The abstract for Plae's STAELACE™ invention is included below, together with patent drawings of the lace tethered to the button (Figs.1) and untethered (Fig 2), and of the slider in the back of the shoe (Fig. 8). An image of the marketed green and blue Mulberry is also included above. 
A closure system for a shoe includes a single shoelace which can be secured and tightened through the use of one hand. The shoe includes a button around which the shoelace is wrapped to facilitate easy removal of the shoe. In one embodiment one end of the shoelace is secured under the upper of the shoe near the toe and a second end of the shoelace is secured in a slider that is slidably mounted on the rear of the shoe to provide micro-adjustments of the tightness of the shoe. Alternatively, the shoe includes a strip of piping around the rear of the shoe and a slider in which the second end of the shoelace is secured slides along the piping when the user wants to make micro-adjustments. The adjustment of the tightness of the shoe can also be made by sliding a barrel that is located over the top of the tongue. [Abstract US2017112237]
The SF Battery, Battery Powered philanthropic program generously funds childhood nutrition, gun safety, conserving the planet, women’s health and dignity, empowering youth, mental health, ending extreme poverty, plus more. The SF Battery is owned by BEBO founders Xochi and Michael Birch
References
Plae Inc.
The Battery SF
Bebo
