4 Fun & Creative Ways To Lace Your Sneakers

 

 

 

We all learned how to tie our shoes when we were five, so why do we need to revisit the topic? You’re either someone who does the loop, swoop, and pull method, or the bunny ears method -- case closed, right? Wrong! As fashion choices become more and more customized, every little detail is being paid attention to, including your shoelaces. 

Should you stick to traditional cross lacing for active footwear, try European straight lacing for dress shoes or not wear laces with your shoes at all? There are hundreds of combinations to try to get a mesmerizing shoelace style that will take your kicks to the next level. This guide teaches you some creative ways of how to tie sneakers and make your shoelaces the talk of the town.

European Straight Lacing

European straight lacing gives your shoes a dressier look with the crossed parts of the laces underneath so that just straight bars are on the top of the shoe. The way to achieve this style is to start at the bottom of the shoe and feed the laces in through the first eyelets, facing down. Both sides of the lace will then cross underneath and one will exit through the next eyelet up, while the other will skip an eyelet and then exit. Both will then go straight across the shoe and into an eyelet. Then, they will cross underneath and both will skip an eyelet and be pulled through. The effect is neat on the top, but messy underneath.

This very secure style is commonly used on more formal shoes like brogues and Oxfords like Work It. It’s perfect if you have common foot problems that require a very snug fitting shoe, because it provides extra support and won’t come undone easily.

Commando Lacing

 If you want the least fuss when it comes to shoelaces, try this clean and straightforward method. Start your threading by tying a knot at one end and moving it very close to the first eyelet. It is similar to European Straight Lacing in that your lace goes straight across from eyelet to eyelet, but it differs in that you do not then thread the lace underneath in a diagonal cross. Instead, you take the end of the lace and pass it through the next eyelet down, rather than across. Then you move it across again to the other side. So the pattern starting from the top of the boot is: across, down, across, down. 

While this style was popularized in the military with combat boots like Crave, you can also use it with colorful boots to give your laces a neat and tidy look. If you’re wondering how to wear patterned shoes without having your laces be distracting, this type of lacing is perfect.

 

Boat Shoe Knot

 Called the “Boat Shoe Knot” because it’s often used on boat shoes or moccasins, but it can also be used as a style statement on a leather sneaker like Plim Soul Lux. The Boat Shoe Knot strictly involves the ends of your shoelaces, so does not affect the actual lacing through the shoe. Once you have laced up your shoe, you create decorative coils with the ends rather than tying them in a bow. To get this effect, you simply take one shoelace and double it over, then wrap around the end like a coil all the way up until you reach the top of the loop. Pull the end through the loop to secure it so that you have a completed coil. Repeat on the other side.

One-Handed Lacing

If you’re looking for looser ways to lace sneakers, try this one. This easy one-handed lacing style starts by being tied at the top end in a knot. Thread the lace in a zig-zag down the length of your comfortable sneakers, going over and under each alternating eyelet. This style of lacing works very well with high-top sneakers like Union which also have a zip. The effect is stylish and it wasn’t hard to do!

Shop women's sneakers with arch support