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Shoelaces have been reinvented. The Boa lacing system already owns a chunk of the market in snowboard boots, and the laces might change the way we tie our shoes. Boa’s cable and reel system relies on a high-strength steel cable with a polymer coating and elongated lace guides instead of eyelets. The system is strong, lightweight, reliable, and easy to use. It allows you to adjust your shoes on the go and it evenly tightens your shoes—virtually eliminating pressure points.

Of course, Boa’s not the first shoelace alternative. In the 80’s, Roos made a killing with hook-and-loop closure shoes for about a year before falling into relative obscurity (although they’re still worn for ironic reasons by hipsters in tweed jackets). While VELCRO® Brand Fastener shoe closures made taking your shoes on and off easy, they did nothing for support or fit. A few years later Reebok introduced the Pump to much fanfare, but, like the Roos, gimmick overshadowed performance.

Gary Hammerslag developed Boa technology in the late 90s after struggling to tie frozen boot laces with numb fingers.

Drawing on technical design experience from working with medial guide wires in human hearts, he built and tested early Boa prototypes himself.

Last season, about 30% of snowboard boots on the market used Boa closures. Oddly, instead of selling the Boa system to more boot companies, Boa is actually reducing the number of boot vendors they’re working with for the 06/07 season, but they still expect to grow their market share.

The North Face recently released the first running shoe using the Boa system. Since Boa gave The North Face a one-year sell through, until 2007, the Endurus XCR Boa Trail Running Shoe will be the only Boa trail runner on the market.

The North Face’s athlete Dean Karnazes wears North Face Boa shoes, and he’s planning on wearing the same pair for 50 marathons in 50 states in 50 consecutive days this fall. Ultra runner Karnazes is perhaps best known for running 350 miles in one push. The 50 consecutive marathons will be his biggest challenge, and Boa will be able to test limits of their system.

Karnazes said he likes the Boa system because it’s easy for him to make micro-adjustments while he’s on the go. He said he just reaches down, pushes the button to loosen, and then cranks it a little to make room in the shoes when his feet swell.

Boa laces don’t absorb water, they don’t come untied, but mostly they offer a mechanical advantage over traditional laces. You can easily tighten Boa laces on a snowboard boot with gloves on. Boa designs their laces with only a few crosses and elongated lace guides, so there’s less friction than traditional laces. When normal laces are too tight or you have a pressure point, you have to untie them and start over; the Boa system offers the advantage of ease and speed.

Next year Boa is releasing a new snowboard boot closure called the Focus that uses two reels to tighten different zones around your foot instead of just one. You’ll be able to dial in tightness to lock in the heel and arch with one cable while the other tightens around your ankle and calf.

Every season it looks less like Boa will go the way of Reebok’s Pump or Roo’s hook-and-loop fasteners. Boa’s innovations in snowboarding and positive feedback in running makes it look like they’re in for the long haul.