These replace shoe laces.  You put these curly shoes laces in place and then you never have to tie your shoe laces again. They are quite stretchy and you can easily slip your shoes on. My husband loves them. They are definitely less formal than shoe laces and may not fit the dress code in some offices. They last a long time. I get a pair of curly laces for every pair of shoes my husband buys. I bought one set for myself. I don't usually wear shoes with laces so they made that pair of shoes easier to wear. They come in a lot of different colors which makes a big difference if you want to wear them with women's shoes. I have not tried them with children's shoes but I would think they would be a lot safer for the kids who always seem to have their shoe laces untied.