11 Creative tips to tie your shoelaces

But first, a little unnecessary contemplation. We learn many new things in our lives, and ideally we try to improve, invent new ways and so on. So why is tying shoelaces different? Next time you’re on a bus, try paying attention to the sneaker game of other passengers. Sure, the choice of shoes will be diverse, but 99% of all shoes and sneakers will be tied with the classic bow. 

So let’s add a bit of creativity to this mundane activity. If you like being the center of attention, some of these creations from two strings will grab more attention than many designer outfits. And if you don’t care about attention, just tie your sneakers any way you want and don’t worry about anybody’s curious glances. They’re your sneakers, after all.

A BILLION WAYS

The name Ian Fieggen probably doesn’t ring any bells, but an article about tying your shoelaces has to include him. Fieggen made shoelace tying his passion and wrote several publications about it, notably the most successful Laces: 100 Ways To Pimp Up Your Kicks. 

However, one hundred is far from the real number of possibilities. Fieggen himself says there are over two billion ways to tie your shoelaces. I honestly have no idea where he got this number but in the interest of his sanity, I hope he didn’t try them all. Taking into account his recommendations, here’s my selection of 9 ways to tie your laces.

PLOWED FIELD

This style appears to be quite plain, perhaps even more than the classic way, but it’s result will breathe new life into your sneakers. All you have to do is start normally from the bottom and on the way up instead of crossing to the other side, thread the hole above the first one. Then just mirror that and thread the laces to the other side at the same height, and repeat.

POND

This way of tying is a bit less ordinary than the last one. However, tying the ideal pond should be super easy. Start from the bottom like normally, but unlike with the previous method, instead of threading the eyelets from the top, thread them from beneath. Then just cross the laces over and you’re ready to go fishing.

HIGH VOLTAGE

Perfect asymmetry? This requires a bit of skill, but once you understand  the start, this way of tying is super simple. Just note that the first diagonal shoelace goes all the way to the third eyelet.

UNDERPASS

The underpass is completely opposite to the other ways. It may look simple, but it’s deceivingly hard. You take a glance at it, tie and tie, and suddenly something looks off. Overlapping the laces in the middle requires precision, and is worth paying attention to, so you don’t have to redo everything because of one mistake.

SPIDER WEB

Here we’re getting into a bit crazier territory. Sure, it doesn’t really look like a spider web, but if you’re looking for a way to tie that really grabs attention, and you don’t mind constantly answering the question “what is it?”, then this is the way for you. The length of your laces might complicate this a bit, so only try this if you’re sure your laces are long enough.

STRAITJACKET

Nobody would want to walk around in a straitjacket, so thankfully this lace tying won’t actually tie your leg up. It secures your foot perfectly and its original appearance makes it a clear win-win scenario. This binding may become a bit scruffy after a while, so be sure to check it before stepping out.

SPIDER

The eight legs might look a bit more unappealing than their lace adaptation. This method is for seasoned shoe binders, but a unique look awaits you if you pull it off.

CHAIN

Set off a chain reaction of compliments about your sneakers. How? Make them unique with the chain. It makes taking your shoes off a little harder, but I think it’s worth it. Note that with the increasing complexity, the range of shoes to which the method can be applied gets smaller.

INTERTWINED ESSES

This one is actually also a chain, but an even stronger one. The esses are strongly intertwined, so we recommend that you tighten them properly and constantly correct the little imperfections that will inevitably happen. The result is worth it, and it even lasts when you take your shoes off.

HOW TO CHOOSE SHOELACES

When it comes to the quality of laces, most brands nowadays won’t ever tear. The only thing to really look out for is whether your laces have a rough surface, which is absolutely essential for functionality.

Pay attention to the little pieces at the ends of laces that stop them from fraying. When they fail, not only will it make tying more complicated, but even the most beautiful sneakers suddenly look much worse. As with the quality of the material, this isn’t really something you have to worry about with new sneakers, but it’s worth it to consider it from time to time.

WHAT LENGTH TO CHOOSE

Laces are usually sold in lengths varying by 5 centimetres. They differ in length mainly due to the varying number of holes on different shoes. The required minimum length corresponding to a certain number of holes should always be slightly less than the actual length of the shoelace. 

We also have to take into account small measurement errors. Different holes have different spacings from each other, varying between brands and models. The following table should give you a basic idea of how long your laces should be. The best thing you can do is measure the original laces your sneakers came with.

I hope this article provided you with all the important information you were hoping for when you clicked on it. I also want to invite you to check out our other tips on the FTSHP blog.

This article shows you how to choose running sneakers. And if the weather outside your window doesn’t look inviting for a run, check out our article about how to choose winter boots for the city or the wilderness.