tiaaryno aashnysi
tiaaryno aashnysi voted up Ancient Hippy's answer
If toddlers and elderly (with arthritis) tend to wear velcro on their shoes, why don't the in-between ages? Is there a practicality reason there or is it just a fashion trend?  Why not Velcro for simplicity?

Those with arthritis have a lot of difficulty using their fingers due to the arthritis. Velcro closures makes it a lot easier than tying laces. The same can be said for the uncoordinated little hands and fingers of infants.

tiaaryno aashnysi
tiaaryno aashnysi voted up Danae Hitch's answer
If toddlers and elderly (with arthritis) tend to wear velcro on their shoes, why don't the in-between ages? Is there a practicality reason there or is it just a fashion trend?  Why not Velcro for simplicity?

Mostly, it's due to the market not realizing that more people would wear shoes or clothing with Velcro if it wasn't so ugly (most of the time).  You can be comfortable and stylish at the same time.