This product has significantly improved the quality of my life. No longer having to retie my shoe laces every 17 minutes, I find I am more cheerful, less stressed, I swear less and my blood pressure has gone down. Not such a small thing. For years, I have been snarling about shoe laces. The product has only one function, one reason for existing--to keep your shoe on tight. And in this one and only task, it fails miserably. Very few types stay tied. The stretchy ones do stay tied and indeed wear well, but they are almost impossible to find. Let me therefore wax eloquent on the virtues (OK, virtue) of these waxed dress laces. They stay tied!!!