How To Tie And Clean Your Shoe Laces

The way you like your trainers to be laced up is completely dependant on what your preference is and the style of the shoe you are lacing. Whether opting for a running style sneaker or a chunky boot, lacing them up is the finishing touch. 

So, if you are stuck on how to lace them up the way you want, here’s our guide with the different styles and instructions you can follow… 

Straight Bar Lacing Style

The straight bar lacing style works perfectly for shoes with an even number of eyelet pairs. This is because the shoelace must cross the shoe an even number of times so the ends meet in the middle and can be tied together.

1. Insert the shoelace into the first eyelets with the ends down

2. Pull both ends to make sure the shoelace ends are even

3. Run the left end straight up on the inside and then straight across the first two eyelets

4. Run both ends straight up the inside, each skipping one eyelet and emerging two eyelets higher up

5. Repeat the last two steps until you reach the last eyelets

Criss Cross Lacing 

The criss-cross lacing is supposed to be the most photogenic for your trainers. 

1. Start by putting the laces in the bottom two eyelets facing up and away from the tongue. Make sure the lace is flat we don’t want it to twist up. 

2. Weave the laces in and out of the other eyelets, crisscrossing as you go, make sure the laces are facing up and don’t have any knots or twists in them. 

3. The pattern should be in through the top of the eyelet, across the tongue, and back in through the eyelet on the other side. 

4. Keep going all the way up the tongue, until you get to the last eyelets

5. Go up and out of the eyelets on both sides. 

Straight-lace Method

This is an alternative to the first lacing method we discussed. 

Place one end of the shoelace through the top right hole and the other end through the left hole on the bottom (near the bottom of the tongue). The left hole should have a shorter amount of length because it only need to be tied at the top. 

1. Using the right end, insert the lace into the opposite hole in a straight line. 

2. Bring it out from the bottom and insert it (from the bottom again) through the next hole. Moving diagonally up one and then straight across the other. 

3. Continue moving it horizontally across the holes until you reach the last hole and then tie your two remaining ends together. 

Sperry laces

You will have seen Sperry laces on shoes such as boat shoes, it’s a sophisticated knot that means you do not need to tie them. You can just slip your shoe on and off. Here’s how to tie Sperry laces… 

1. You want to get hold of one of the lace ends that is coming out the top of one eyelet and make a small loop. Hold the loop together using your fingers. 

2. With the remainder of the lace wrap it around the lop neatly going upwards creating a coil around the loop. 

3. Once your lace is coming to the end, thread the end through the loop and pull tight. 

4. You will be able to slip your boat shoes on and off now. 

Tips: How to clean your laces

Tips on how to give your laces a little refresh especially when we know that white laces get dirty very quickly. 

1. You can put them in the washing machine if they are cotton or other washable material such as nylon, but place them in a mesh bag or pillowcase. 

2. Secondly, if you bob the laces into a bowl or cup and add a small among of hot water. Get something long such as the end of a toothbrush and swirl the laces around teasing out the lose dirt. If the laces are white you can add a small amount of bleach and let them soak for a couple of minutes. Don’t get the bleach on your hands or fingers because it can aggravate your skin. 

3. Or alternatively, you can just buy yourself some new laces, there’s a full range at allsole.

SHOP NOW ON ALLSOLE 

Written by Holly Thompson

Featured Image Credit – @grensonshoes