How to Lace Dress Shoes

Co-authored by Jordan Stolch

Last Updated: October 21, 2021 References

While the process can seem tricky, it's actually simple to lace dress shoes if you go slowly and pay attention to detail. You can either do a straight bar lace or oxford lace, depending on the circumstance. With some time and patience, you can lace shoes for a professional setting.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Using Straight Bar Lacing

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1
Feed the right lace under the bottom eyehole. The eyeholes refer to the holes in the shoes that the laces are fed through. Take the right end of the lace and feed it through the bottommost eyehole on the right, feeding the lace in the direction of the opposite eyehole on the left. Make sure the lace goes over the flaps of the shoes and not under.^{[1]
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- When you lace your shoes this way, the laces should go down into the eyehole, rather than starting underneath and coming up.^{[2]
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  Jordan Stolch
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  Expert Interview. 3 November 2020.}
Repeat the same process with the left corner of the lace. Feed the lace through the bottommost eyehole on the left, pulling it in the direction of the opposite eyehole. Make sure to loop the lace over the flap and not under it.^{[3]
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The tip of the right lace should be under the flap of your shoe. Feed the right lace through the bottom of the second eyehole on the right. Pull the lace through so there's a tight line of lace running from the bottom eyehole to second eyehole up under the right flap of your shoe.^{[4]
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Your right lace should be on top of the flap of the shoe, coming out of the second highest eyehole. Pass the right lace to the left flap of the shoe. Feed it through the top of the second eyehole, lacing it over the shoe, on the left. Pull the lace until there's a snug line of lace connecting the second eyehole on the right with the second eyehole on the left.^{[5]
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The left lace should still be pulled under the first eyehole. Passing the left lace under the flap of the shoe, feed it through the bottom of the third eyehole up. Tug on the lace until there's a tight line under the left flap of the shoe running from the first to third eyehole.^{[6]
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Pass the left lace to the right shoe. Feed it through the top of the third eyehole on the right. Pull the lace to form a tight line of lace running from the third eyehole on the right to the third eyehole on the left.^{[7]
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You have now established the pattern you'll continue as you lace your shoes. Feed the lace on the right through the fourth eyehole up. Pull the lace tightly and then pass it to the left. Feed it through the top of the fourth eyehole on the left.^{[8]
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Go back and forth with this pattern, moving from the left to the right laces. Move the lace up one eyehole and then transfer the lace to the opposite flap to feed it through the top of the opposite eyehole. Stop once you reach the top eyehole.^{[9]
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It is not necessary to tie dress shoes. In fact, etiquette dictates that you instead tuck your laces into the tops of your shoes once you've finished lacing them.^{[10]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Cross Lacing Dress Shoes

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Feed one end of the lace through the top of the bottommost eyehole one one side of the shoe's flaps. Pass the lace under to the tongue of the shoe to the opposite eyehole. Push the lace through the bottom of the opposite eyehole. Pull the lace upward to form a loop running from one eyehole to the other. Pull until the length of the laces on the left and right are about the same.^{[11]
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Once your laces are looped, start on the right. Pass the right end of the lace to the left. Feed it through the top of the second highest eyehole on the left and pull until the lace is snug.^{[12]
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From here, you essentially do the same thing on the left. Pass the left lace to the second highest eyehole on the right. Feed it through the top of the eyehole on the right and pull it snug. This should create a criss-cross pattern on your shoes.^{[13]
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Take the left side of the lace. Move it down to the bottom eyehole. Re-feed the lace through the bottom of the bottommost eyehole on the right and pull it up snugly.^{[14]
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Repeat the process with the left lace. Move it downward to re-feed through the bottom of the bottommost eyehole on the left.^{[15]
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Take the lace on the right. Push the tip through the top of the second highest eyehole, re-feeding the lace through this hole. Pull the lace until it's snug.^{[16]
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Repeat the same process on the left. Push the tip of the left lace through the top of the second highest eyehole on the left and then pull the lace until it's snug. This will create an hourglass-like shape running across the tongue of your shoe.^{[17]
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8
Repeat this pattern with the third and fourth eyeholes. Repeat the pattern you made with the first two eyeholes with both the third and forth eyeholes on the right and left. Remember, the process is as follows:^{[18]
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- Pass the right lace through the bottom of the third eyehole on the right. Pull it snugly and pass the lace to the left eyehole. Feed it under the fourth eyehole on the left. Repeat with the left lace.
- Re-feed the lace on both sides through the third eyehole and then the forth eyehole, creating an hourglass shape.
You should now have two hour glass shapes running across the tongue of your shoe. Feed the tips of either lace underneath the top eyehole and pull them snuggly.^{[19]
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Pass the right lace to the left and re-feed it through the top of the topmost eyehole on the left. Pass the left lace to the right and re-feed it through the topmost eyehole on the right. Pull your laces snug and then tuck them into the flaps of the shoes.^{[20]
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Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Practicing Proper Etiquette

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If you're wearing Oxfords, straight lacing is generally the preferred style. These are very formal shoes, and straight lacing is considered slightly more formal than cross lacing.^{[21]
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If you enjoy cross lacing, it should only be used for slightly less formal dress shoes like desert boots. While you can certainly do a straight lace for less formal shoes, it's also safe to opt for a cross lace.^{[22]
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If you have to buy your own laces, wax cotton is the preferred lace for dress shoes. You can buy laces online or at a department or clothing store.^{[23]
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Never use athletic lace on dress shoes. It is not considered formal enough for dress shoes and should only be used on things like tennis shoes.^{[24]
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Expert Q&A

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How can I lace my shoes to look more polished?

Jordan Stolch
Image Consultant & Style Advisor
Jordan Stolch is an Image Strategist, Style Advisor, and the Founder of MiKADO - a concierge personal styling firm. With over a decade of experience, Jordan specializes in helping people eliminate the confusion and insecurities associated with how to dress in order to build a powerful image and use clothing to their strategic advantage. Jordan trains entrepreneurs, business leaders, and corporate executives in the foundations of "power dressing", from some of the country's preeminent companies such as Morgan Stanley, Deloitte, Berkshire Hathaway, Universal Music Group, Starbucks, and Disney. She works with clients both in-person and virtually, teaching them how to take the confusion out of style so they can operate at a higher level. Jordan earned her BA in Psychology from the University of Waterloo and studied Merchandise Marketing at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIDM).

Jordan Stolch

Image Consultant & Style Advisor

Expert Answer

The dressiest way to lace your shoes is to straight lace them. Starting at the holes closest to the toes, push the laces down into the holes. Then, pull each lace through the next hole on the same side it's already on. Cross them over to the other side, then continue all the way up the shoe. The laces will look like they go straight across the shoe, rather than being criss-crossed, which tends to look more casual.

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Tips

Straight bar lacing tends to looks a little dressier, whereas cross-lacing looks a little more casual.^{[25]
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Jordan Stolch
Image Consultant & Style Advisor

Expert Interview. 3 November 2020.}

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