# Quick Snap - Boot fasteners



## Edward Campbell (17 Dec 2008)

Has anyone seen/used this _Quick Snap_ thingy?

See this article, reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act from Friday’s _Financial Post_:
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http://www.financialpost.com/small_business/story.html?id=1067682

 QuickSnap invention clicks with investors
*Mentor’s advice to go on Dragons’ Den pays off fast*

Daryl-Lynn Carlson, Financial Post

Published: Friday, December 12, 2008







Paul Darrow for the National PostDavid Reynolds, Quick Snap co-founder, shows the quick-lacing clips the company will be sending to Canadian soldiers serving in Afghanistan.

Sometimes the most lucrative entrepreneurial concepts evolve from the simplest of ideas. With the founders of QuickSnap, their invention was based on the simple idea that it should be easier to put on shoes.

David Reynolds and Drew McKenna developed a device that enables people to secure their shoelaces with a click, and it looks good. Their invention is proving to be a tremendous time saver and a significant benefit for people with disabilities. It could potentially become an integral safety component for Canada's troops.

In a collection of testimonials, a Winnipeg physician writes about an athletic 14-year-old girl who lost her dexterity as a result of a brain tumor and can now put on her own footwear using the device.

"In any business you want to make money but when you know you've touched the hearts of people and you've actually provided something so simple and so unique that you hear benefits their lifestyle, it's life-changing," says Riad Byne, a former soldier who served in Afghanistan and joined QuickSnap earlier this year as president and chief executive.

Mr. Byne met the QuickSnap founders at university, which he attended after returning from his tour of duty. He has been promoting the product to military officials.

Mr. Reynolds and Mr. McKenna launched the company in 2003, while attending university. As part of their studies they had to do a project that required them to prepare a business plan.

After a series of meetings to troubleshoot ideas for the project, Mr. Reynolds struck on the idea for the device. "I was getting ready to give Drew a ride home and I just jammed my shoes on and I'm out the door. But he has these boots that he has to tie up and it takes him about five minutes, so I was always waiting for him," he says. "I thought of something like a clip that would make it faster."

While the concept looked good on paper, the journey to market wasn't easy. The young men had to continue with their studies while trying to raise money to commission the manufacturing of their QuickSnap device.

They did receive initial funding through CYBF and another source, but that was quickly used up.

Their CYBF mentor, Peter Mombourquette, a professor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, helped them balance their studies with their new business focus. He says young students are in a good postion to start a business. "Most students are poor and they're not used to having a lot of things. So when they start a new business and go through the initial years when they don't have a lot of money, it's easier [for them] to deal with [it] because they don't know any different, versus a 35-year-old who gives up a good paying job and risks mortgage payments," he says.

Once the product was ready, Mr. Mombourquette encouraged them to audition for CBC's Dragons' Den television show. Earlier this year Mr. Reynolds and Mr. Byne won over two of the judges who invested in QuickSnap in return for a share in the company. Brett Wilson, one of those dragons, was so impressed with the product he negotiated a deal with the entrepreneurs to purchase clips for Canada's troops in Afghanistan.

"Canada's troops have always had a soft spot in my heart and I don't think Canadians celebrate them enough," Mr. Wilson says.

"One of the benefits of Quicksnap was a clear improvement in two things: getting your boots on quickly and also getting them off quickly.

"If someone is injured, an ankle is broken, to get those boots off you have to cut laces but with this, it's just 'snap' and they're off. So I view this as a safety issue."

The goal is to deliver three QuickSnap clips to each of the approximately 2,500 soldiers in Afghanistan during the holiday season.

Mr. Wilson is also trying to make arrangements to provide QuickSnap clips to all of Canada's troops serving in foreign locations.

To date the snaps have been manufacturered in China, although the company recently penned a deal with a Quebec-based manufacturer to augment their production.

Since appearing on Dragons' Den, sales have risen more than twofold, with online orders originating from as far away as Australia and New Zealand.
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See also: http://www.quicksnap.ca/product.html


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## Infanteer (17 Dec 2008)

Although I won't comment on the device until I try it, I'm loathe the move away from good ole boot laces as they are the most reliable thing out there.  I actively discourage zippered boots, the last greatest invention, for the reason that zippers are not really designed as load-bearing devices and I've seen soldiers' boots explode in the middle of an activity.  Not good.


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## HItorMiss (17 Dec 2008)

I disagree 100% with your stance on zippered boots nothing has served me better then my zipper side Converse or my 5.11 Tac boots. Though I have recently moved to a different boot those zippers have saved me considerable time and afford me the luxury of being able to take my boots off in a contact rich environ which meant I was comfortable while I slept and many of those around me were either not or took the chance that if a contact did happen they would run around in floppy boots. 

I never had a zipper malfunction not in my old job nor in my current even under extreme weight or use. I think this snap link could be a great new invention for troops in theater and soon troops at home.

BZ to the young kids that thought of it and to Mr Wilson for thinking how useful it could be to the Soldiers serving.


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## KevinB (17 Dec 2008)

I severely disagree on using zippered boots based on what I have seen happen to others wearing them.

 However I was done wearing boots a long time ago - most soldiers would be better served with a shoe in the current environments.


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## HItorMiss (17 Dec 2008)

I6 I agree with the shoe and or light hiking boots...

Asolo and Sportiva make some very nice ones.


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## dimsum (17 Dec 2008)

Maybe not for combat boots, but I can see the Quicksnap working well for aircrew and seaboots, where you might want to put them on/take them off in a hurry.  That being said, a speed-lace system (a real one, not the ones we have for our GPB) would probably be just as good.


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## Fusaki (17 Dec 2008)

Zippered boots get the thumbs down from me.

There's a reason Arctic tents get replacement zippers in the toboggans. In field conditions, zippers are the first thing to fail.  The last guy I saw wearing zippered converse boots ended up lacing them normally by the end of the tour because the zippers were so abused that they wouldn't work properly.  In my opinion, he was lucky that thats the worst that he had to deal with.

As far as these Quick Snaps go, I will NOT be the first kid on my block wearing them.  I can't say for certain how reliable they are, and I'm not the kind of chump to find out that their failing point is 6kms into a 20km march.


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## Fishbone Jones (17 Dec 2008)

Depends on the job I suppose. I spent 3 1/2 years on tanks (a real long time ago) and wore the same pair of combat boots with, Canex zippers, for the duration. Never had a problem. Grenade ring in the pull tab. Mind, these were not 2 x 10 miler (at that time) boots either. Just everyday work boots, albeit, simpler times.

Just for arguement sake, I can lace a pair of (true) speed lace boots near as fast as zippered ones.

I'll have to see, and try, some of these clips before I make judgement.

Of course, it's all mute if the CoC doesn't come on board with the acceptance, and we all know how some of them are with aftermarket gear they have no stake in :


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## Ex-Dragoon (17 Dec 2008)

What about US Tanker boots with the wrap around leather strap. I have a pair I wear on the civvy side of things but am not sure how they would stand up for our troops. Any thoughts?


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## PuckChaser (17 Dec 2008)

With such a large donation to the Cdn troops, I think the inventor would like feedback from those that used it, possibly to make it better? I'm pretty cautious of anything plastic, especially that thin. Easy to smash it off a rock in the cold weather and destroy it.


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## dimsum (17 Dec 2008)

PuckChaser said:
			
		

> With such a large donation to the Cdn troops, I think the inventor would like feedback from those that used it, possibly to make it better? I'm pretty cautious of anything plastic, especially that thin. Easy to smash it off a rock in the cold weather and destroy it.



Good point.  Also, come to think of it, the speed lace boots I've seen on some of the other nationalities' uniforms are closed by something equally thin and plastic (reminds me of the waist drawstring tighteners in the winter parkas.)


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## BinRat55 (18 Dec 2008)

What about the dress regs? CSM / RSM's would be livid to say the least... I would think...


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## Sig_Des (18 Dec 2008)

BinRat55 said:
			
		

> What about the dress regs? CSM / RSM's would be livid to say the least... I would think...








Especially if they mistakenly ship a bunch of any color but the black


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## [RICE] (18 Dec 2008)

He should make some ones specifically for the forces that are the same colour as DEUs, might market a little better.


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## Sig_Des (18 Dec 2008)

[RICE] said:
			
		

> He should make some ones specifically for the forces that are the same colour as DEUs, might market a little better.



Why? So our boots can match our dress uniforms?


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## dimsum (18 Dec 2008)

I was just looking at the pic in the original post and thought to myself, "wouldn't it just cause 3 really bad pressure points?"


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## Blackadder1916 (18 Dec 2008)

Dimsum said:
			
		

> I was just looking at the pic in the original post and thought to myself, "wouldn't it just cause 3 really bad pressure points?"



I was thinking the same thing.  As for the suggestion that it would assist in a speedier removal of the boot in case of foot or ankle injury - that's why medical types have large scissors with powerful jaws - not only would the laces be cut but the whole boot would be cut away.


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## [RICE] (18 Dec 2008)

Beadwindow 7 said:
			
		

> Why? So our boots can match our dress uniforms?



Meant cadpat and not DEU, sorry  :-[


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## Run away gun (18 Dec 2008)

I have seen and know multiple people using these in garrison. Most of them swear by the technology, however I do not know how field-worthy it is. Like was already noted by a few others, I will not be the first to see these fail half way to the objective.


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## Farmboy (18 Dec 2008)

Tons of guys are using these overseas right now and have been giving feedback.


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## BinRat55 (20 Dec 2008)

I really don't see the practicality of them - I can tie my boots up in about 30 - 40 seconds. That's about 20 seconds a boot. What kind of time saving is that? And the mention of medical removal - the boot will be cut away regardless. Just don't see it.


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## Infanteer (25 Dec 2008)

BulletMagnet said:
			
		

> I disagree 100% with your stance on zippered boots nothing has served me better then my zipper side Converse or my 5.11 Tac boots.





			
				Infidel-6 said:
			
		

> I severely disagree on using zippered boots based on what I have seen happen to others wearing them.





			
				Wonderbread said:
			
		

> Zippered boots get the thumbs down from me.



Interesting mix of opinion from end-users.  I based my opinion based upon watching two pairs meltdown due to zipper malfunction.  To me, it seemed that the zipper was just not designed to bear the strain and conditions military footwear is put through.

I'd be interested in seeing a more technical opinion on the matter (load bearing characteristics, failure rates, etc).




> However I was done wearing boots a long time ago - most soldiers would be better served with a shoe in the current environments.



Interesting statement - one probably worthy of its own thread.  I remember reading of Rhodesian's abandoning boots for runners due to better comfort and less fatigue and stress on the feet.  The guerilla's runners were a favorite piece of war booty.

Advantages and disadvantages of boots vs a "hiker"/shoe maybe something worth looking at in an Army where the boot is considered part of the service culture....


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## Rigger052 (27 Dec 2008)

It's generally a nice idea, glad these guys thought of us when designing this equipment. While it would be a nice add on for a set of "stand-to" boots there's not enough info available to really determine whether they would hold up in high stress environments like Afghanistan. They would also be more than likely to be rejected by trades that require specialized footwear such as engineers or linemen to do their jobs. I'm curious at least to see where this leads.


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## McG (28 Dec 2008)

So, is there anybody here that has used these in the field?  Are they affected by mud? Snow? Hot/cold?


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