An extra 2 feet for luck?

I bought Big J some new gym shoes last week. He seems to go through gym shoes monthly ... they must drag their toes on the cement when they have outside time at school.
Anyway ... I brought the shoes home and he wanted to play ASAP in them (he thought they were going to make him run super fast).
I put on the shoes, double knotted them (I could have quadruple knotted them) and sent him on his way.
Next thing I know, he is yelling for help and sitting on his bike in the middle of the sidewalk.
When I walked over to him, I noticed that his shoelace had wrapped itself around his bike pedal.
The next day I went to Target and bought new, appropriate length, shoelaces.
Now, I wouldn't think anything if this was the first time; but, I have had this issue in the past.
I buy these children's shoes, for little feet and we get these shoelaces that could tie up combat boots!!!
WTF?
Do they really think we need shoelaces that long? What do they propose we do with all that excess???
Am I alone out there????