A new, award-winning product, Zpurs lets you clip your shoes together and fasten them securely to the outside of your kit, where they can air out as well as save space in your bag and kept separate.
It’s the brainchild of Devon-based product and industrial designer Alistair Taverner. Development took over two years and countless iterations, before successful crowdfunding on Kickstarter in October 2019.
Zpurs comes in six bright colour options (Fuschia, Green, Light Blue, Orange, White, Yellow) and is priced at £14.95.
It uses a patented clip system with interchangeable grips to hold your shoes together securely, with a large lever on either side opening and closing the grip, attaching itself to your kit bag with an included carabiner.
The design won the prestigious international Red Dot product award in June 2020, commended by the jury, who remarked: “The innovative shoe clip impresses with high usability and a surprisingly attractive appearance”.
Zpurs is used by Canyon//SRAM women’s team pro cyclist Alexis Ryan and runner, cyclist and Zwift Academy 2016 Winner Leah Thorvilson to help organise their kit.
Thorvilson, says: “Zpurs is a super easy and convenient way to store and travel with your running shoes. The integrity of a shoe can be compromised when it is shoved into luggage for travel and smashed.
Zpurs give you an alternative option to keep your shoes in tow, without risking damage to their structure. For me, they are also great for when I go to the track and have separate shoes to warm up in and for the actual workout.
My spare shoes go on my Zpurs and can be carried easily as well as kept off my other things post-workout when they are sweaty and wet.
”Ryan adds: “Zpurs is the latest and greatest organisational tool for those who like to keep their belongings tidy!
Speak with anyone who has seen my travel bag, and they’ll tell you I like to keep things neat. However, shoes have always been a thorn in my side. Normal shoes have dirty soles, and cycling shoes are stinky and sweaty.
Zpurs allow me to keep my shoes organised in my bag, or clip them to the outside. ”It’s not just athletes who have taken to Zpurs either, with primary school teacher Clare Starkie Pell using them to keep her Year One pupils’ shoes together and tidy in the classroom.
The idea for Zpurs followed from designer Alistair Taverner’s NeatCleats clip, which holds cycling shoes together or mounts them to a wall using their cleats.
That product too was crowdfunded via Kickstarter. It is used by the Movistar pro cycling team, currently racing in the Tour de France, and the Canyon//SRAM women’s pro team.