"What particular design considerations are necessary? -Ease of entry. This is especially challenging with a sock construction because you are trying to get a singular form to stretch enough to get the foot in, but not so much stretch that it doesn't stay on when in motion. There are also areas where you don't want any stretch in order to keep the foot secure. This challenge becomes especially difficult when running is the end use. A static fit might be fine for short jogs but if you intend to run for any prolonged period of time you don't want the shoe's fit to be constantly stretching. As if that weren't challenging enough, you also have to produce something that fits a wide array of footshapes. I'm not saying that laceless performance footwear is impossible in fact, I believe it's going to happen. But first there will need to be more advancements made in terms of material development before we have a product that is easy to put on and stays secure and supportive during a long run."