Shoelaces As Seen In The News

Shoelaces occasionally make an appearance in the news, where they have been involved in good and bad, happy and sad events. Here's some excerpts from various news stories involving shoelaces.
News Story Excerpts – 2018
Why Matthew Dellavedova, Cavaliers fan favorite, wears his wedding ring on his shoe for each game
– The Athletic (USA), 26-Dec-2018

When it’s time for Matthew Dellavedova to slip out of his street clothes and into the NBA uniform he’s wearing that night, he slides the left shoelace out of the hole at the top of his left shoe.
Delly takes his gold wedding ring, the one he’s worn each day since July 1, 2017, when Anna Schroeder put it on his finger and threads the shoelace through it. Then, the shoelace goes back through the hole at the top his left Delly 1 signature basketball shoe, made by the Chinese company Peak. And that’s where it stays, until the game is over.
Dellavedova has played 57 total games since marrying Schroeder — 50 for the Milwaukee Bucks and the past seven with the Cavaliers, and each time he’s worn his wedding ring just like that. Knotted onto his shoe.
Royal Caribbean Escapes $700K Ice Skating Injury Verdict
– Law360 (USA), 19-Dec-2018
A Florida federal judge has tossed a nearly $700,000 jury verdict in a suit by a Royal Caribbean passenger who broke his ankle while ice skating on a ship,
ruling Tuesday there was no evidence a jury could use to find that the cruise line knew about shoddy ice rink conditions.
...
Lebron claimed Royal Caribbean negligently failed to properly inspect or maintain the ice rink aboard its ship or the skating equipment it provided to Lebron, which he said included a right skate that had laces that were broken or too short.
Untied shoelace, a fall, and broken arm leads to something more serious
– WBTV (USA), 18-Dec-2018

On Dec. 7, 2018 while at school, his mother said another child stepped on his untied shoelace and DJ fell. At first, no one realized how bad DJ’s fall was. He was in some pain, so his family took him to the ER.
They found out DJ broke his humerus bone -- but the doctors noticed something else.
...
A bone biopsy was performed that determined DJ has Osteosarcoma, which is a type of bone cancer.
Ian's Comment: See also follow-up story in 2019.
Jury Sides With Hospital In Ruling Untied Shoelaces Caused Woman's Fall
– Yahoo! News (USA), 13-Dec-2018

A Stamford Superior Court jury has sided with the defense after a 60-year-old Norwalk woman claimed she had a pulmonary embolism after her
shoelace got stuck in a crack and caused her to fall in a stairway at Tully Health Center.
...
“There was no way the lace became lodged in a 1/16 of an inch gap without dragging on the ground,” Stockman added. “The only way what happened to Ms. Filardo could have happened is if her shoelace was dragging from her shoe. It had to be untied or tied really, really shabbily.”
Drunk student may have tripped over laces before being hit by lorry and then run over by a van
– The Argus (UK), 29-Nov-2018

A DRUNK 17-year-old student may have tripped over her shoelaces causing her to fall into the path of a Tesco lorry as she left bonfire celebrations,
an inquest heard.
...
Explaining the theory she may have tripped over in the road, friend Amber Weatherill said: “I had to tie her shoelaces twice that night. They were loose and long and kept coming undone.”
England’s Underhill and Te’o opt not to wear ‘uncomfortable’ rainbow laces
– The Guardian (UK), 24-Nov-2018

Members of the England team have opted not to wear rainbow laces for the match against Australia amid claims they cause too much discomfort,
after the Rugby Football Union left the decision to the discretion of the players.
...
“That is more to do with – it sounds a bit ridiculous given the size of the issue they are representing – it is more to do with the thickness of the laces, they are actually really uncomfortable in my boots,” he said. “And they are really long.”
“I won’t be wearing them but I fully support the LGBT community. That is something we are all very, very keen that people know. It is a fantastic cause to support.”
Arsenal kid Emile Smith Rowe has shoelaces tied by veteran Stephan Lichtsteiner and fans LOVE it
– The Sun (UK), 08-Nov-2018

In fact, Smith Rowe needed some help tying his laces.
And who better to teach him one of the basics of getting ready for a football game than seasoned old campaigner Stephan Lichtsteiner.
As Smith Rowe sat on the ground, his 34-year-old team-mate sorted his boot problem out like the leader he is.
...
Another Twitter user called “Sian” posted that he is “so young he can’t even tie his own shoelaces”.
The Story Of How A Single Shoelace Led To A Truck In A Swimming Pool
– NDTV (USA), 09-Nov-2018

“The general story was they were trying to move the UHaul into the back yard and couldn't get it over the curb. When the person 'hit the gas', his shoelace got stuck on the accelerator and it went into the pool,” they wrote, sharing pictures and a video from the site of the accident.
Police: 2 men tied up with shoelaces, robbed in Little Rock home invasion
– Arkansas Democrat Gazette (USA), 30-Oct-2018
One of the victims told police he was asleep in his home in the 5200 block of Stanley Drive when three people kicked in his front door just before 5 a.m., according to a report by Little Rock police. Authorities said the three tied up the 42-year-old and 20-year-old victims using shoelaces.
Van seized in Rotherham after driver used a SHOELACE for handbrake
– The Star (UK), 18-Oct-2018

In a statement, the team said: “To say this Bulgarian vehicle has seen better days is an understatement, especially when the handbrake is a shoelace. Driver reported. Vehicle seized.”
Man sets out on mission to remove sneakers from power lines
– News 12 Connecticut (USA), 15-Oct-2018

Police say shoes are often used as markers to indicate locations where drugs can be bought.
Book says he uses a plastic tree limb cutter that doesn't conduct electricity to snip the laces and get the sneakers down.
A warm meal, a hair tie and shoe laces
– Arizona Mirror (USA), 12-Oct-2018

Asylum-seekers who show up at official port of entries and immigrants caught crossing illegally usually spend time at U.S. Customs and Border Patrol holding areas that aren’t designed to hold people for long periods. There are limits to how long children can stay in these facilities. While there, their belongings are confiscated, including jewelry and shoe laces, and they’re commonly given a silver Mylar blanket for warmth.
Many of the mothers, fathers and children that arrived Tuesday had tied their shoes together with pieces ripped from those thermal blankets.
Boy amazingly survives after being run over as he tied his shoelaces
– The Mirror (UK), 27-Sep-2018

A young boy has miraculously survived being run over by a car after he was hit as he sat down to tie his shoe.
...
The youngster, who appears not to have any serious injuries, runs down the street presumably home as the bewildered children look on.
DFW day care owner left tied-up babies, toddlers in car seats for hours, warrant says
– Fort Worth Star-Telegram (USA), 17-Sep-2018

A day care owner tied shoelaces around the necks of young children to limit their movement and gave Tylenol to each child to make them stop crying,
according to an arrest warrant.
...
Nine children were found in the home, all tied with ligatures around their necks. Police later described the ligatures as cotton shoelaces.
Car rolls after woman’s shoelaces get caught: Arlington Police logs
– The Arlington Advocate (USA), 07-Jul-2018

The woman told police she was driving home from a friend’s house when her shoelaces got caught in the pedals. Unable to press the brake, she struck a parked car and the car flipped, landing on its side.
City Orders Illegal Parking Lot Closed After 4-Year-Old Killed by Car
– NBC New York (USA), 07-Jul-2018

Luz Gonzalez was hit while her mother bent down to tie her shoelace on July 1. The car was driving out of the parking lot on Wyckoff Avenue in Bushwick.
Cop’s revolver goes off by accident, buddy injured
– The Times of India (India), 23-Mar-2018

PUNE: A 22-year-old man suffered bullet injury on Thursday morning after a police constable’s service revolver went off accidentally
when he bent to tie his shoe lace on the steps in front of a temple at Super Indiranagar in Bibvewadi.
...
Kopnar said, “Dhaware had removed his shoes at the steps before entering the temple. When he came out, he found Kamble sitting on the steps. Dhaware sat next to him and bent for tying his shoe lace when the revolver went off accidentally,” he said.
Shoelaces may be the key to cracking rash of home break-ins
– Fox 5 San Diego (USA), 02-Mar-2018

A rash of home invasions in the Vistas neighborhood of Chula Vista may have a common thread – or at least a common shoelace.
Neighbors say that a red shoelace has been found outside the home of three residents who had their houses broken into, ransacked and burglarized. The victims suspect that the laces were meant to mark the thieves' targets.
Public help PC catch violent shoplifter in Worcester
– Worcester News (UK), 16-Feb-2018

A SHOPLIFTER was foiled by a man who tied his shoelaces together to stop him escaping from police during a dramatic chase and violent struggle.
...
Cox was eventually caught as a member of the public tied his shoelaces together as he was resisting the officer and another man helped by radioing PC Waite's colleagues.
Marysville church fire ignited by burning shoelaces
– HeraldNet (USA), 23-Jan-2018
A 21-year-old man allegedly started a fire that burned the side of a Marysville church on Friday.
...
While he was waiting, he spotted a pair of old shoes nearby. He lit the laces on fire, according to a probable cause affidavit. The flames spread quickly, charring the side of the church.
That's one way to stay tied together: Larry King, 84, pauses as his giggling seventh wife Shawn, 58, helps star to fasten his laces...
– Daily Mail (UK), 17-Jan-2018

Heading to Craig's restaurant in LA on Monday night, the 84-year-old became unstuck when he noticed one of his shoelaces were undone.
Propping one foot up on the kerb, help was at hand when his wife Shawn, 58, kindly bent down to assist him, throwing her head back with laughter as he did so.