How to Lace Shoes

Co-authored by Carroll Kelly

Last Updated: October 2, 2024 Fact Checked

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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

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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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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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Make a bow (as below).

Method 2

Method 2 of 6:

Straight-Lace Method

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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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Method 3

Method 3 of 6:

Heel-locking Method

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

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Do the same for the other lace.

Method 4

Method 4 of 6:

Alternative Straight-Lace Method

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Method for shoes with five pairs of shoelace holes.

, 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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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.

Method 5

Method 5 of 6:

Lattice Method

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^{[5]
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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).
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).
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

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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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Bring the left lace over the right, and underneath it in a circular motion.
Pull tight.

Community Q&A

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Tips

If the bow keeps coming undone, then tie a double knot. Tie a second bow (with bow loops) after tying the first bow. Or, after step #2, bring the loop back up & through the small hole again before pulling it all tight.

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Helpful 13 Not Helpful 2
If the laces are slightly different in height, don't worry about it. Just tie it usually.

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Helpful 15 Not Helpful 4
The real way to straight lace shoes is to take the lace under the sole every time but if you're doing two colours then do the same thing but the strings will be a little longer than the other.

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