Tags that work

Updated 25 July 2026

Tapping an NFC tag on your shoe laces the pair up; tapping it again clocks the pair out. This page covers which tags to buy and where to put them. Tags are optional: the buttons in the app and each pair's QR code do the same job.

The chip to search for

ShoeGauge writes standard NTAG213 tags. That one chip name is the whole spec: 144 bytes is more than a ShoeGauge link needs, and any honest NTAG213 product works. Bigger NTAG215 and NTAG216 tags also work; they just cost more for no benefit.

Search terms that get you the right thing:

• “NTAG213 epoxy coin” for the durable kind
• “NTAG213 sticker” for the cheap kind
• “NTAG213 laundry token” for the wash-proof kind

Which kind holds up

• Epoxy coins with a lace hole are the pick. They're waterproof, they thread through the laces, and they shrug off rain and mud.
• PVC-laminated tags are fine too, stuck on the tongue.
• Paper stickers are fine for trying the feature out. They don't survive weather, so don't plan a season around one.

Where to put it

Laces or tongue. Keep the tag away from carbon plates and metal eyelets; both detune the tiny antenna inside the tag. The iPhone's own NFC antenna is at the top edge of the phone, so tap the top of the phone to the shoe.

Which iPhones tap

iPhone XS and later read tags in the background: tap the shoe, then tap the banner that appears. iPhone 7 through X scan from inside the app with the scan button. Either way the setup step happens in the app: open the pair and choose SET UP NFC TAG on its tag card.

Verified tags

We add specific products here as we verify them with the app. So far, generic NTAG213 epoxy lace coins and NTAG213 stickers from the usual marketplaces have all set up and locked cleanly. If a tag fails to write, the app says so before anything permanent happens; a locked ShoeGauge tag is permanent by design.