I figured I would post the most recent modification to my DIY Xeros. My inspiration for this mod came from the lacing system for the Bedrock Classic sandals. I own two pairs from their Cairn line, and love their comfort and overall design. I've never been completely happy with my DIY Xeros for running, as they never "locked" my foot into place as well as I would like. So I decided to do something about it.
I ordered some 3/4" webbing and 3/4" strap adjusters from strapworks.com. Materials + shipping came out to a little over $5. To prep the sandals for the new and improved lacing system, I installed new toe posts and side anchor points out of some 550 paracord I had lying around. To make the side anchor points, I had to punch two new holes on each side of the sandals to run a piece of paracord up through the bottom and back down the other hole. This creates a better side anchor for webbing- as opposed to cordage. Another benefit to using this type of anchor point is that it ensures that none of the webbing will make contact with the ground- resulting in a more durable sandal.
Instead of tying knots on the bottom, I've found a better solution is to simply fray the ends of the paracord coming out the bottom of the sandal, and melt them with a lighter until they catch fire. Then take a flat metal object (the side of a pair of kitchen scissors works well) and press firmly on the melted paracord, and hold it there for a few seconds until it hardens back up. This creates a durable, flat plug- that is completely undetectable by the foot. The longer you let the paracord melt, the flatter the plugs will be.
Once the toe posts and anchors are in place, sew the strap to the toe post (super easy), lace them up, and you're ready to run. The way the buckle is implemented allows you to position it wherever you want along the strap running across the outside of the foot. To tighten, turn the buckle towards the other strap and cinch it down. Then, turn the buckle back towards the outside strap (this locks it in place).
I just completed a 3 mile run with this new lacing system, and I could not be happier with the results. Pics below for reference.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
I ordered some 3/4" webbing and 3/4" strap adjusters from strapworks.com. Materials + shipping came out to a little over $5. To prep the sandals for the new and improved lacing system, I installed new toe posts and side anchor points out of some 550 paracord I had lying around. To make the side anchor points, I had to punch two new holes on each side of the sandals to run a piece of paracord up through the bottom and back down the other hole. This creates a better side anchor for webbing- as opposed to cordage. Another benefit to using this type of anchor point is that it ensures that none of the webbing will make contact with the ground- resulting in a more durable sandal.
Instead of tying knots on the bottom, I've found a better solution is to simply fray the ends of the paracord coming out the bottom of the sandal, and melt them with a lighter until they catch fire. Then take a flat metal object (the side of a pair of kitchen scissors works well) and press firmly on the melted paracord, and hold it there for a few seconds until it hardens back up. This creates a durable, flat plug- that is completely undetectable by the foot. The longer you let the paracord melt, the flatter the plugs will be.
Once the toe posts and anchors are in place, sew the strap to the toe post (super easy), lace them up, and you're ready to run. The way the buckle is implemented allows you to position it wherever you want along the strap running across the outside of the foot. To tighten, turn the buckle towards the other strap and cinch it down. Then, turn the buckle back towards the outside strap (this locks it in place).
I just completed a 3 mile run with this new lacing system, and I could not be happier with the results. Pics below for reference.
Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk
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