Stay in step with the newest addition from StylePLUS—its RevSTEP Laceless Band Shoe. With a minimalist, streamlined design, the shoe is meant as the perfect crossover between marching and concert season.
But this new footwear has other, more obvious advantages. “The clear advantage is not having to tie your shoes,” says Tim Mangee, vice president of StylePLUS. “We heard a lot of comments from music educators saying that their students stepped on shoelaces and were tripping, or that the laces would get dirty. Overall, regular shoes can be a hassle. We designed the shoe in response to their comments.”
With a corps-style heel and a thinner sole, the shoes are far from clunky. And their design prevents any worries associated with slip-on shoes. “People have a perception that slip-on shoes are going to fall off— these are going to stay on,” Mangee says. “We’ve done it successfully with guard shoes, so it’s not going to be a problem with band shoes.”
And given the number of companies offering marching shoes, StylePLUS definitely has an outlier. “Everybody feels that there are too many band shoes on the market, and they all look the same,” notes Mangee. “We prototyped a version of these shoes with laces, and they just looked too similar. You take the laces out, and it changes a lot for people. They’re less distraction for the students and for the judges.”
The laceless shoes are available for $34.95. For more information, visit www.styleplusband.com.
