About Us
About us
The Laceeze story
The real life story behind Laceeze is one of grit, determination and a passion for invention, but ultimately stems from an everyday family who simply love to play and watch sport.
A family business
Emma Burke is the Founder and Managing Director of the Laceeze brand but the unrivalled success of this footwear accessory for children is more of a family affair. Her two sport loving sons’, Harrison and Morgan were integral to her growing this company and for the ongoing social media success of the brand (Gen Zs love TikTok, right!). Emma’s football mad husband Will is also keenly on the side-lines most weeks to help Emma and their boys grow the business globally.
Footie mums to product inventors
Laceeze was the original brainchild of product co-founders and mothers’, Emma Burke and Paula Henley.
On a chilly autumnal evening back in October 2016, Emma and Paula watched another exasperated parent struggle with an elastic band or a bit of gaffa tape to stop their kid’s laces coming undone during a grassroots’ football training session that both their sons were playing in. Whilst this solution did work, temporarily, they thought there must be a better long term solution for this that wouldn’t only do the trick of keeping the laces in place but something that kids would think looks cool too.
After many months of product development (an initial failure!!) and investment later, this entrepreneurial duo had successfully created a footwear accessory that anchors laces in place and adds an additional bit of flair to any sports’ kit.
The now best-selling Laceeze bands were born and launched to the UK market in May 2017
Meet our Founder & Managing Director – Emma Burke
Emma is now responsible for the day to day running of Laceeze, as well as growing the business in the UK, internationally and also venturing into other areas of youth sport. Her two sons are also heavily involved with the family business – from filming TikToks and advising Emma on the latest social media trends to packaging up parcels, they like to be part of the process (sometimes more so with pocket money incentives!).
Emma is a serial entrepreneur and award-winning Managing Director who has past experience in retail, service industries and real estate but jumped at the opportunity to get involved in a company which combined her intrinsic love of youth sport with a burning passion to succeed in business on a global scale.
Emma comments; “It’s amazing to see how much more confident children are when they wear our bands and it’s always such a pleasure to hear positive feedback from the parents and coaches. Bands being seen on feet is our best marketing tool and this would explain why a Sunday afternoon/evening is our best day for sales after grassroots’ matches have been played. We also encourage children to still learn how to tie their laces – a vital life skill – because the bands are designed to secure across a single tie. Our charitable Laceeze Foundation, whereby we contribute 25p from every direct band sold via our website to help disadvantaged children participate in sport and other grassroots causes is also a subject very close to my heart and it’s a privilege to use the success of our bands to help with this.”
Since Laceeze bands received their patent in 2020, the brand and also its’ sister clothing and accessories brand Defiance have since taken the youth market by storm. It is Emma's ambition is to grow a global sports accessories brand for specifically for children and one which is a force for good through our donations programme.
Thank you for listening to our story and being part of our journey.
Laceeze Regd. TM No. 3302571
Laceeze Patent GB 2560985 A
Defiance Regd. TM No. 3765481