Never tie laces again! ZUBITS magnetic lacing solution 2.0
Created by Zubits - Ryan & Valerie
Simplify your shoes with our high-tech magnetic solution. No more tying, knots, loose laces, floppy bows, or squeezing into shoes.
Latest Updates from Our Project:
Answering some FAQ's
over 7 years ago
– Fri, Aug 26, 2016 at 06:43:03 PM
Dear Backers,
You are now more than 5,000! Welcome to faster and easier shoes. Convenience and efficiency is in your future.
In this update we would like to address some of the most common frequently asked questions that keep popping up.
Buying more Zubits, or clips? After the campaign is over you will receive a survey about a couple weeks after the campaign. As a part of this survey you will have the opportunity to purchase additional Zubits closures and add them to your order. You can also purchase extra clips to go with any Zubits you may have had before.
Airport issues / TSA? Zubits closures are perfect for traveling by airplane! Thousands of people have flown with Zubits closures and this is where people love using them most. It’s easy to take your shoes off and put them on at the security check. Also, you can pop the closures open while sitting on a long flight so your feet are comfortable without taking off your shoes and stinking up the plane (not that any of our backers would ever have stinky feet). In the eyes of Airport Security, Zubits magnets are just like metal. The magnetism doesn't have any extra affect on sensors, they just act like metal. We have never heard of them causing issues. The Zubits closures look just like a small metal rectangle. If you live in a country where you CAN leave your shoes on as you walk through a metal detector, then it might go off. It depends on the machine. But we have never heard of Zubits not being allowed to pass through.
How are the shoes so easy to pop off, but stay on securely for running? It’s really a simple answer. Even with normal shoes knotted with normal laces, people step on their heel and pull their feet out all the time. When you step on your heel with one foot and lift your other foot, you can generate a lot of force. A lot more force than you do when running. And people often yank their feet out of knotted shoes leaving a double knot to untie later. So Zubits closures work in the same way. The magnets will stay closed when you run, but pop open when you exert the extreme force of stepping on your heel. - Zubits are engineered to be incredibly strong for their size, but they still make hands-free shoe removal as easy or even easier than before.
Do the magnets lose their strength? No. Not unless you find a way to heat them over 176° fahrenheit. Neodymium magnets don’t lose their magnetism over time or from other magnets. It is older ceramic refrigerator magnets that can lose strength. Zubits magnets are enclosed in plastic and protected from corrosion and elements.
Do they work with Boots? We thought at first that Zubits closures might not work so well on boots, but we have been very surprised to find they usually work amazingly well. Boots are a big pain to lace up and you must reverse lace them to get out, so this is why Zubits closures can be of great value to boot wearers. Boots usually are a lot more loose up around the ankle and it's this looseness that prevents the magnets from separating even with big heavy boots. Tight athletic shoes seem to pose more risk of popping open for example. And yes, the thick laces fit through Zubits holes just fine. We put them on our kids snow boots so they can quickly step right in next to the car in just seconds. The only challenge with boots is if you have speed laces (a hook instead of a hole in the shoe). But we have a few tricks to make even boots with speed laces work. Just see our website at www.zubits.com "how to". Thanks - Ryan
Pacemakers? My father has a pacemaker and wears his Zubits all the time. But pacemakers are what they are and magnets are what they are. They are not supposed to mix. Magnets are not supposed to be put near a pacemaker. That being said, Zubits magnets are designed to have very little pull from even a centimeter away. The magnetism is very concentrated and so you would have to get the magnets very close to a pacemaker for them to possibly have an affect.
SKINNERS: Revolutionary Ultraportable Footwear with Silver
The ultimate pocket footwear designed for all your adventures, travels and sports. Minimalist. High-tech. Anti-Odor. Durable. Awesome.CLICK HERE
Zubits Update - Clips & Colors
over 7 years ago
– Mon, Aug 22, 2016 at 08:01:35 PM
Dear Backers,
Thanks to all the new backers since our last update. We are rolling along and fully funded!
Zubits Clips Manufacturing
We are gearing up for production of both Zubits in new colors and the new clips. Below is a picture of the final shape and design of the clips. A last little modification was meant to smooth the edges just a bit that were potentially a bit sharp. The next step for the clips is to make a 4 piece arrangement that all stick together to fit into packaging.
Colors
We never really had an actual sample for the new teal color, so we have decided to use this color for teal… (of course computer monitors do not always represent colors accurately)
And we are going to darken our previous blue to be a little more navy in color….
So apart from these two color changes, all the other colors below are as seen in this image… (the blue and teal in this earlier image was Photoshopped)
What colors will you choose?
We would love to hear your comments or feedback on which of these colors you will choose later when we send the survey. These will not count as your choices yet, but we just want to get an idea of what people are liking. We will probably start manufacturing new colors before the end of the campaign so we don't want to guess too much about what will be popular.
Thank you so much for your continued support! Ryan & Valerie
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Take part in Zubits popularity
over 7 years ago
– Mon, Aug 22, 2016 at 07:57:06 PM
Dear Backers,
Thanks for all your support, comments, and love for Zubits closures. Zubits continue to be one of the most popular products on Kickstarter. And because of that, we have an opportunity for you to take part in our popularity and easily make some money for yourselves. If this doesn't interest you, no problem.
Get 10% Cash on each Zubits sale you create!
You now have the possibility to get 10% cash-back on every new pledge you help us get. In simple terms, you sign up for a personalized link... you share that link with anyone... when they buy Zubits closures on Kickstarter you get 10% of all those sales. It’s a really easy process and you can literally be up and running in the next 5 minutes.
2. Once you're signed up, find our project in the marketplace. Share our project with all of your friends by clicking on the Facebook and Twitter icons. You can also share by simply posting your unique link anywhere.
3. When people back our project through your link, as a THANK YOU for your help, we will give you 10% of all sales you generate.
You can share the link with your friends or broadcast it to a large group of people. It’s of course a help to us, but if you find it worth it, it could provide some cash for you. Payouts will happen right after the Zubits campaign ends and we get the campaign funds.
Thanks again for backing Zubits! Ryan & Valerie ---------------------------------------------- Check out these great campaigns that are helping us reach our goals along our Kickstarter journey!
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Our friends over at Paperwallet have launched the Magic Coin Pouch, an innovation on the way we handle & carry coins. It works like magic!... there are no zippers, buttons or snaps, simply ‘flick it’ to lock and unlock access to your coins. The coins automatically align & stack within the Magic Coin Pouch and take up minimal space. Even when the Magic Coin Pouch is full it’s still so thin and small that it fits in the mini-pocket in your jeans! Handle Coins Better → CLICK HERE
Clip Progress and Packaging update
over 7 years ago
– Fri, Aug 19, 2016 at 12:36:56 PM
Hello Kickstarter backers!
In this update we thought we'd share a little about the behind the scenes work of manufacturing a product. When we first started making Zubits, I learned a lot from reading through the updates of a few campaigns that gave very lengthy updates about the whole manufacturing process. I won't be as lengthy, but we'll share what we've worked on the last couple of weeks.
Designing New Clips - As it turns out, the manufacturer who was going to help us with the new clips decided not to take the job. This happens, sometimes often, but it through us into a frenzy of trying to find a new manufacturer. As it turns out, the same manufacturer who makes our Zubits closures is going to help us make the clips. And so we are now moving forward, maybe a little behind schedule with the clips. Months ago, we paid a designer in California to help us make the 3D drawings, we made 3D printed prototypes from those, and tested the right shape and such. So now we know the material we want and the design. So the next step, which our manufacturer is beginning, is to make a metal mold that the plastic can be shot into to form the clips. For each pair of Zubits closures that we sell, we need to provide 4 clips. But a metal mold can produce more than one set of 4 clips. So we are going to get a quote on producing 8 or 16 clips with one mold. The more clips one mold can make, the faster and cheaper it can be to produce thousands of them. But a bigger mold is more expensive. We are also designing the 4 clips to stick together via a snap off "nesting post" so they can be packaged easier. 4 loose clips can be a nightmare for packaging. Which brings up packaging issues...
Getting New Packaging - Getting new packaging has been a difficult "headachy" process over the last three weeks. Our current packaging that we have been using was good but not great. We wanted to improve it and months ago designed a whole new look and smaller package size. We found a company to produce it in China very easily, but they were in a different city from where Zubits closures were being manufactured. Far away. (Zubits closures are made in China because China has patents for Neodymium magnet production and dominates this market). Furthermore, if new packaging was sent to our factory, our factory doesn't have the equipment to seal the Zubits inside the packaging. So we spent a frantic couple weeks looking for a "pack out" company to do the sealing and put the product in boxes for shipping. We had no luck. So finally we begged the packaging manufacturer to also do the sealing and "pack out". They agreed, but they won't store or warehouse any of our product. So this is our solution that we have settled on. We will have to truck our Zubits closures from one city to another to get packaged up. Then we will have them all shipped out to us in California.
That's a small insight of what goes into the manufacturing and production of a product. Just a snapshot of the last few weeks.
Thanks for your continued support, Ryan & Valerie
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Because of you, Zubits is funded!
almost 8 years ago
– Sat, Aug 06, 2016 at 05:17:20 AM
Zubits Magnetic Lacing Solution 2.0 is funded!
Wow! That was fast. Thanks to all our EARLY backers. You're going to be sliding in and out of shoes with the greatest of ease. Zubits closures brighten your day and make the shoes you put them on the "shoes you choose" when you head out the door.
Please let us know if you have any questions we can answer by sending us a message. More information will come in future updates and you will choose your sizes and colors after the campaign ends via a survey that we send out.
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Made from military grade titanium, TRAK will not rust or corrode. Perfect
for those with active lifestyles: Running, hiking, camping, cycling, or
even just walking the dog at night.
Wear it around your neck or on your keys. Never run alone again!
