How to Lace Shoes

Co-authored by Carroll Kelly

Criss-cross, straight-lace, heel-lock, lattice...who knew there were so many different ways to lace shoes? Not only do your shoelaces affect the fit of your footwear, but they also change the vibe. We're here to show you tons of cool ways to lace shoes so you can rock your best look everywhere from the basketball court to the board room.

Method 1

Method 1 of 6:

Criss-Cross Method

1
Put a shoe in front of you with the toe facing away. Starting from the two frontmost opposite facing holes, insert each end of the shoelace from the inside. Make sure both sides of the remaining laces are equal.^{[1]
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2
Working in a diagonal direction, insert the right end of the shoelace into the next left hole (from the top). Alternate method: You can insert the lace pointing from the front of the shoe inward (instead of going from the inside pointing outward), to give a more neat appearance.

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3
Insert the left end of the shoelace into the next right hole.
4
Continue working your way down until you reach the ends.
5
Make a bow (as below).

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Straight-Lace Method

1
Place one end of the shoelace through the top right hole (the toe end) and the other end through the left hole on the bottom (near the beginning of the shoe). The left hole should have a short length of lace left; only enough to tie the lace at the end.^{[2]
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2
Using the right end, insert it in the opposite hole in a straight line.
3
Bring it out from the bottom and insert it (from the bottom again) through the next hole.
4
Continue moving it horizontally across the holes until you reach the last hole.
5
Tie your two remaining ends in a bow (see below).

Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Heel-locking Method

If you find that your heels are slipping in your shoes, this method can help alleviate your problem.

1
Lace your shoes using the criss-cross method, stopping before the last hole.^{[3]
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2
Take the lace on one side and put it into the hole on the same side. Do the same for the other lace.
3
Insert the left lace through the loop you have now created on the right.
4
Repeat for the other lace.
5
Tie your shoes as you would normally, and enjoy your slip-free heels!

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Alternative Straight-Lace Method

Method for shoes with five pairs of shoelace holes.

1
Place one end of the shoelace through the first hole, inside step (i.e., the left hole nearest the heel on a right shoe) and pull through to leave about 6 inches (15.2 cm) of lace outside.^{[4]
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2
Pass it under and up through the second outer hole.
3
Pass it straight over and down through the second inside step hole.
4
Pass it under and up through the fifth inside step hole.
5
Pass it straight over and down through the fifth outside hole.
6
Pass it under and up through the fourth outside hole.
7
Pass it straight over and down through the fourth inside hole.
8
Pass it under and up through the third inside hole.
9
Pass it straight over and down through the third outside hole.
10
Pass it under and up through the first outside hole.
11
If you end up with more lace on the side than the other, fold the extra length of the longer lace in half, put the folded end together with the end of the shorter lace, and reverse the procedure to feed the lace back to bring both laces to the same length.
12
Tie your two remaining ends in a bow (see below).

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Lattice Method

1
The lace is run straight across the bottom and the ends emerge through both bottom eyelets.^{[5]
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2
The ends are crossed over each other, run diagonally upwards on the outside and fed in through the third-higher set of eyelets up the shoe (skip past two sets of eyelets).
3
Both ends are run straight up the inside and emerge through the next set of eyelets up the shoe.
4
The ends are crossed over each other, run diagonally downwards on the outside and fed in through the third-lower set of eyelets down the shoe (skip past two sets of eyelets).
5
Both ends are run straight up the inside and emerge through the next set of eyelets up the shoe.
6
The ends are crossed over each other, run diagonally upwards on the outside, and then fed under the sides to emerge through the top set of eyelets (skip past two sets of eyelets).

Method 6

Method 6 of 6:

Tying the Bow

1
Hold both ends of the lace straight. Place the right end over the left, then bring the left above the right and through the loop. Pull both ends tight.^{[6]
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2
Take hold of the right lace and form a loop, placing your finger in between to hold it. Bring the left lace over the right, and underneath it in a circular motion.
3
Then bring the left lace through the small loop. Pull tight.
4
Your shoes are now tied!

Community Q&A

Question

How do I keep my laces from going to different lengths?

Community Answer

When first starting to thread the laces through, make sure that the lengths of the laces are even coming out of both sides. If not, keep adjusting.
Question

What do you do if the lace at the end is too short to tie a knot?

Community Answer

If the other end is longer, redo it, with the middle area as your starting point.
Question

How do you lace it so you don't even have to put a bow?

Community Answer

That is easy using one of the methods above. You should stop at the tie and make sure the shoe is secure and put your lace in your shoe. Works every time.