SHOE LACING
Lacing Shoes
Are all of your shoes, sneakers and boots still laced up the way they were when you bought them? This section presents some of the many fascinating ways of lacing, either for different functions or just for appearances. Why not take the plunge? Whip out those laces and re-do them to suit your needs or personality.
2 Trillion Lacing Methods?
On an average shoe with six pairs of eyelets, there are almost 2 Trillion ways to feed a shoelace though those 12 eyelets! Impossible? This page shows the maths behind that extraordinary number.
Shoe Lacing Mathematics
It hardly seems possible that there could be quite that many ways to feed a lace through 12 eyelets! So let's look at the mathematics:
- Feed through one of 12 eyelets from either inside or outside. That's 24 possible ways to start.
- Continue through one of 11 remaining eyelets from either inside or outside (x 22 more ways).
- Then 10 remaining eyelets (x 20 more ways). We've only gone through three eyelets and we're already up to 24 x 22 x 20 = 10,560 ways!
- By the time we reach the last eyelet (x 2 more ways), the possible ways have multiplied to 24 x 22 x 20 x 18 x 16 x 14 x 12 x 10 x 8 x 6 x 4 x 2 ways, a staggering total of 1,961,990,553,600.
That's almost 2 TRILLION possibilities!
Then again, we can multiply by the many different ways the laces can be crossed or interwoven prior to passing through those eyelets, and multiply again if we allow the laces to either pass through any eyelet more than once or skip any eyelet, and even more if we use two or more laces per shoe. This results in almost infinite possibilities, limited mainly by the length of the shoelaces.
In the real world however, we can place some sensible constraints, such as:
- The lace should generally start and finish from the top pair of eyelets.
- The lace should pass through each eyelet only once.
- Each eyelet should contribute to pulling together the sides of the shoe.
- The lacing should not be too difficult to tighten or loosen.
- Any pattern formed should be relatively stable.
- Ignore irrelevant variations (eg. changing the direction through a single eyelet).
- Above all, the finished result should be visually pleasing.
So how many possible ways are there to lace a shoe with 12 eyelets if we DO take into account some or all of the above constraints? This requires far more complicated maths than the simple multiplications above. For example:
The above combinatorial equation came from research by Australian mathematician Burkard Polster, who caused a sudden worldwide surge of scientific and academic interest in the mathematics of shoelacing.
Although not quoted in the Nature article, Polster's calculation for the number of real-world lacing methods for a typical shoe with 12 eyelets came to 43,200.
Shoe Lacing Methods
Whilst mathematics tells us that there are more than 2 Trillion Methods of feeding a lace through the six pairs of eyelets on an average shoe, this section presents a (somewhat more realistic) typical cross-section of traditional and alternative lacing methods that have either found or created.
The selection is limited to those methods that are widely used, have a particular feature or benefit. - The list is still growing!
34 Different Ways To Lace Shoes
Diagrams are all drawn as though looking from the front of the shoe, such that the lower part of the lacing is at the bottom of the diagram, and are colour-coded to make it easier to follow where the lace runs. Generally, the start of the lacing is grey, whilst the lace end that starts on the left side is blue and the end that starts on the right side is yellow. For colour-blind visitors, Blue=Dark=Left, Yellow=Light=Right.
Criss Cross Lacing
This is probably the most common method of lacing normal shoes and boots. The laces simply criss-cross as they work their way up the shoe.
Over Under Lacing
A variation of Criss Cross Lacing that alternates between running over and then under.
Straight (European) Lacing
This traditional method of Straight Lacing appears to be more common in Europe. The laces run straight across pairs of eyelets and diagonally underneath.
Straight (Bar) Lacing
Often referred to as "Fashion Lacing" or "Lydiard Lacing", this variation of Straight Lacing eliminates the underlying diagonals, which looks neater plus relieves pressure on the top ridge of the foot.
Straight (Easy) Lacing
This is a simplified variation of Straight (Bar) Lacing where one end runs straight from bottom to top whilst the other end steps through the eyelets.
Hiking / Biking Lacing
An inside-out version of Straight (Bar) Lacing, which distributes pressure evenly plus keeps the knots & ends to the side, away from either snagging undergrowth or from bicycle chains & cranks.
Sawtooth Lacing
This variation of Straight Lacing has all of the angled underlying sections pulling the same way, which shifts the sides of the shoe out of alignment. Of dubious merit, perhaps only to correct an otherwise ill-fitting shoe.
Shoe Shop Lacing
Commonly used by shoe shop assistants because it's so fast to lace new shoes, this method is another "lazy" variation of traditional Straight Lacing.
Display Shoe Lacing
Shoe stores often use this reversed version of Criss Cross Lacing on their display shoes in order to end up with the lace ends neatly tucked away inside.
Ladder Lacing
This distinctive lacing, which looks just like a ladder, is also useful for "shortening" long lace ends. U.S. paratroopers and ceremonial guard units wear jump boots with white ladder lacing.
Spider Web Lacing
Another decorative lacing method used on military boots, which is like Ladder Lacing running at an angle, creating a woven web of shoelace.
Double Back Lacing
Although terribly awkward to tighten, this method looks interesting, holds very firmly, and can also be used if you're desperate to shorten long lace ends.
Bow Tie Lacing
So named because the outline resembles the shape of a bow-tie, this method makes the most efficient use of lace and thus is useful for "lengthening" short lace ends.
Army Lacing
This inside-out version of Bow Tie Lacing is used by the British, Dutch, French and Brazilian armies (and possibly others). With the crossovers on the inside, the sides of the combat boots can flex more easily.
Train Track Lacing - NEW!
Like Army Lacing with the underlying crossovers running straight across instead of diagonally. The result looks like train tracks, and holds extremely tight because two passes of shoelace are squeezed through each eyelet.
Double Helix Lacing
This method was invented and patented by Monte Fisher for faster lacing of boots. The laces run in a double helix, angled one way on the outside and the other way on the inside.
Double Cross Lacing
This blend of Over Under Lacing and Hash Lacing creates overlapping "crosses", which can also be woven into the most intricate "macrame".
Hash Lacing
When used on modern boots and sneakers with a wide gap and many eyelets, the result resembles a diagonal series of hash "#" symbols.
Lattice Lacing
Great for boots and sneakers with a wide gap, this very popular method forms a neat woven lattice in the middle of the lacing.
Zipper Lacing
Though awkward to tighten, this lacing holds very firmly, making it great for lacing skates tightly. It also looks interesting, a bit like a giant zipper.
Riding Boot Lacing
Often referred to as "Bal-Lacing", this method is specifically for riding boots (motorbike or equestrian) in which the part that is tightened and loosened is at the middle of the boot (near the ankle).
One Handed Lacing
As an alternative to the One Handed Shoelace Knot, this way of lacing eliminates the need to even tie a knot by leaving one end loose.
Segmented Lacing
This variation divides the lacing into two or more "segments", each of which can be laced up as tightly or loosely as necessary to achieve a comfortable yet secure fit for "difficult" shoes or feet.
Knotted Segment Lacing
A more attractive though less flexible variation of Segmented Lacing in which a knot makes the lower segment of shoelace permanently tighter or looser.
Hidden Knot Lacing
By hiding the knot underneath, the result is an uninterrupted series of straight "bars" that looks particularly distinctive on dress shoes or sneakers alike.
Bi-Colour Lacing
Here's a way of lacing to end up with two different colours alternating up the shoe. Two shoelaces are cut and joined, then laced as per Straight (Bar) Lacing.
Double Lacing
Another way of ending up with two colours is to interweave two laces up the shoe, ending up with four lace ends, which can then be tied creatively.
Checkerboard Lacing
This interwoven lacing forms an attractive two-colour checkerboard pattern that looks fantastic on today's wide fronted sneakers.
Loop Back Lacing
Each side loops back on itself down the middle, rather like when two springs become intertwined. However, those loop-backs tend to shift off-centre.
Knotted Lacing
Adding an overhand knot at each crossover increases friction and keeps the lacing much firmer. Ideal for tightening ice skates, rollerblades, etc.
Twistie Lacing
Like a combination of Loop Back and Knotted Lacing, the laces are twisted together with a vertical overhand knot at each crossover before continuing to the other side.
Roman Lacing
Alternating X-I-X-I on top of the shoe, which looks a little like Roman numerals. It's most effective on dress shoes where the sides of the shoe meet in the middle.
Footbag Lacing
Footbag players use this lacing to open up the front of their shoes, making it easier to catch or otherwise control the footbag (or "Hacky Sack").
Lock Lacing
Also referred to as "Lace Locks", this is not a lacing method as much as a technique for creating a super-tight finish. It's often recommended to help reduce slippage in running or climbing shoes.
Before you tie 'em, you have to lace 'em - and you can choose from among 43,200 perfectly legitimate ways to do it. A smart stringing strategy can actually improve your game, sportswise and otherwise.
- Runner's stitch Are your dogs yapping after a jog? This method alleviates pressure points inside the sneaker to give your pups some breathing room. Start with a horizontal lace across the bottom eyelets. Go straight up and emerge from the second set, cross over to the third, and go up to the fourth. Repeat.
- Hacky weave Popular in footbag circles, this method opens up the front of the shoe so there's more room to "catch" a hacky sack. Lace across the third eyelets, then dive into the second and emerge from the first. Now run the laces up, into the fourth eyelets. From there, crisscross to the top.
- Skater special We're talking ice skating, not skateboarding. To keep the instep tighter than the upper half of the boot, lace normally to the ankle at the desired pressure, then tie a square knot (right over left, left over right) and continue crisscrossing up the calf.
- Two-tone tie This one's pure fashion statement. You'll need two laces of different colors. String the first one across the bottom eyelets: Tuck the left end into the shoe; thread the right side through the second eyelet, then across to the opposite side, and repeat to the top. Now take the second lace and weave it through the first from bottom to top and back down. Weave until you run out of room. Then stuff the loose ends into comfortable spots inside the shoe. Kick it with your posse.
Slipping Shoelaces? Crooked Bows?
Do your shoelaces always come undone? Do your shoelace bows sit vertically instead of across the shoe? If so, you're probably tying a "Granny Knot", and one simple change to your technique will result in a balanced knot that sits straight and stays secure.
This page explains the "Granny Knot" phenomenon in some detail. Put simply:
- It's caused when the starting knot & finishing bow don't "balance" each other.
- It can be spotted by the tendency of the bow to sit crooked (ie. heel to toe).
- It's fixed by reversing one stage of the knot, most easily the starting knot.
What Causes a "Granny Knot"?
Shoelace knots are usually tied in two stages: A Starting Knot followed by a Finishing Bow. Each of these stages "twists" the shoelaces slightly, so it's important that the two stages be tied in opposite directions in order to cancel out each other's twists.
This balances the knot both visually (the bow sits straight) and functionally (the knot stays tied) and is the right way to tie shoelaces.
If both stages are tied in the same direction, those twists compound each other, resulting in an un-balanced knot that sits crooked and comes undone more easily. This is the wrong way to tie shoelaces, and is commonly known as a "Granny Knot" (or "Slip Knot").
Whilst there's only a subtle difference in tying technique, there's a big difference in security. This is not simply an "Old Wives Tale"; it's based on millennia of established knowledge. In fact, there's even a poem taught in Scouting, which goes something like:
Right over left, left over right,
Makes a knot both tidy and tight.
The difference arises from the forces of friction on adjacent contact points within the finished knot. In simple terms, this means that in the balanced knot the adjacent bits pull in the same direction and actually tighten the knot. In the un-balanced "Granny Knot", the adjacent bits pull in opposite directions and tend to work the knot loose.
Spotting a "Granny Knot"
Balanced Shoelace Knot
Un-balanced "Granny Knot"
A properly tied shoelace bow should sit sideways across the shoe.
A wrongly tied shoelace bow invariably twists to point "heel-to-toe".
Technical Description
Balanced Shoelace Knot
Un-balanced "Granny Knot"
In knotting terminology, this is known as a "Reef Knot" (or "Square Knot") with "drawstrings" (or "ripcords")
(or simply a "Slipped Reef Knot")
In knotting terminology, this is known as a "Granny Knot" (or "Slip Knot") with "drawstrings" (or "ripcords")
(or simply a "Slipped Granny Knot")
