How to Tie Your Shoe Laces Differently

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Over and around and through the loop — tighten, loosen, and repeat. Are you tired of tying your shoes the same old boring way, day after day? With just a few easy steps, you can ditch the monotony of your everyday "granny"-style shoelace knot and have the coolest kicks in town.

What are some different ways to tie shoes?

To fix constantly loosening knots, try a secure surgeon’s knot (modeled after how doctors tie sutures after surgery). Or, if you’re frequently multi-tasking, master the one-handed knot to free up a hand. For an extra creepy Halloween look, you can even try the “mini noose” knot.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Making an Extra-Secure Surgeon's Knot

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  1. If you've noticed that your shoelaces seem to come untied frequently, try this knot, which is based off of the super-secure knot that doctors use to tie sutures after surgery (the knot is also popular with fishermen.) [1] To start, make the same sort of basic "right over left" knot that you'd begin with when tying your shoes normally. [2]
    • To do this, simply take your right lace and cross it over the left lace. Wrap it around the left lace once and pull tight. You're done!
  2. After this, make a small "looped" section by doubling one of the laces back on itself. You're not doing any tying or wrapping here — just re-positioning one string so that it makes a U shape.
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  3. Next, take the lace that you didn't make a loop with and pull it so it crosses behind the loop. Then, pull it back around in front of the loop. This should make a small "hole" between the two laces and the initial "right over left" knot at the bottom.
  4. Take the slack end of the free lace in your hand and make a second loop by doubling it up on itself in a U shape (just like you did with the other lace.) Push this second loop through the "hole" that was formed in the previous step.
    • Resist the urge to pull the knot tight at this point — if you do, you'll just be left with an ordinary shoelace knot.
  5. Now, take the second loop that you just pushed through the hole and wrap it all the way around the first loop. Push it back through the hole one again. "Double-wrapping" the loop this way is what makes the surgeon's knot so secure — the friction that's generated when the tightly-wrapped laces rub against each makes it very hard for this knot to come undone.
  6. Now, you can simply pull the loops in opposite directions to tighten the knot. The results will look a little like a standard shoelace knot, but should be much more secure.
    • If you really don't want your laces to come undone, try soaking the knot in water before pulling it tight. As the water evaporates, the fabric of the laces will constrict, making the knot even tighter.
  7. Though this knot shouldn't come undone accidentally, it's not hard to undo when you want to take off your shoes. Simply pull on the loose ends of the laces like you would with an ordinary shoe knot and the surgeon's knot should come apart easily.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Tying a "Mini Noose" Knot

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  1. This odd shoelace knot looks a little like a tiny noose, making it great for adding some creepy flavor to your outfit for Halloween and other spooky occasions. To start, all you need to do is make a very basic starting knot (the same kind you'd start with when tying your shoes normally.) [3]
    • As a reminder, to make this basic knot, take your right lace and cross it over the left lace. Wrap it under the left lace once and pull tight. Note that this part is exactly the same step as in the section above.
  2. Next, take the right lace and double about an inch or two of the lace back on itself to make a "loop" or U-shaped section. Just like in a real noose, this loop will eventually become the "neck hole."
    • Once you make the loop, take the loop and the other lace in your hand, and hold both so that they are pointing upward. This isn't essential, but it ensures that all of your laces are positioned correctly for the next step and keeps things a little tidier as you start to make the noose.
  3. Starting at about the middle point of the loop, start wrapping the free section of lace around both parts of the loop and the other lace. In other words, you should be wrapping the lace around a "bundle" of three laces: both sides of the loop and the free lace. Work your way down towards the bottom of the loop, coiling tightly as you go.
    • There's no exact number of coils you need to make this way — longer laces will be able to make more coils than shorter ones, but as long as you are able to make about four or five, your knot should hold.
  4. When you've coiled the free lace all the way to the bottom of the loop, take whatever slack is left and pass it through the small hole between the initial "right over left" knot and the lace that you've been using to coil. This hole should be near the bottom of the coil you just made, but slightly off to the side. When you've done this, pull the lace gently to tighten.
    • If your lace isn't long enough to reach the bottom of the loop, try starting over and making the initial loop smaller.
  5. When you're ready to untie this mini noose knot, slip your finger into the loop and pull up. The "loose" side of the noose should pull through the coil easily and the entire knot should fall apart.
    • On the other hand, pulling the "tight" side of the noose should cause the coil to tighten. You may want to give this side a tug after you put on your shoes to keep your knot tight during your daily activity.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Tying a One-Handed Knot

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  1. This unconventional knot can be done entirely with one hand, making it a great choice for when you need to tie your shoes while doing something else. [4] However, this knot requires you to lace your shoes in a special way. This initial lacing is tricky, but not impossible with one hand. Start by tying the lace to one of the top eyelets — the little holes on either side of the tongue that the laces go through.
  2. If your shoe isn't already unlaced, pull the lace out until it's completely free (except for the eyelet it's tied to.) Next, re-lace the shoe in a zig-zagging pattern as follows:
    • Thread the lace through the eyelet at the top that's directly across from it. in other words, if you started at the top left eyelet, thread the lace into the top right one.
    • Pull the lace under and through the eyelet directly beneath the previous one. It should go under the material between the two eyelets, not over it.
    • Thread the lace through the eyelet directly across from it again.
    • Continue this "down, across, down, across" pattern until you reach the last eyelet at the bottom. If there are an even number of eyelets (which there usually are), the lace should end at the side opposite the starting point. If there are an odd number, it will end at the same side.
  3. Take the loose end of the lace and bring it back across the tongue of the shoe. Thread it through this eyelet — this may be tricky if you have thick laces, but it should be possible.
  4. Use the thumb and index finger of your shoe-tying hand to make a loop that's an inch or so long with the loose end of the lace. If you're using one hand, you can do this by holding the loose part in your palm, then slipping your thumb under it and pushing out.
    • When you have a loop, hold it so that it lays across the lowest straight section of lace at its middle point. The loop should be pointing across the tongue of the shoe.
  5. This is the only tricky part of the whole knot. Take one side of the loop that's laying across the lowest straight lace section and pull it under the straight lace and over the other side of the loop. This essentially creates a second loop that should be pointing up or down the tongue of the shoe.
    • If you're working with one hand, the easiest way to do this is to grab the initial loop between your thumb and index finger, then use your index finger to push one side of the loop as you guide it under the straight lace and over the other side of the loop.
  6. At this point, you can tighten the knot by pulling on the second loop that you've just created. As you do so, be careful not to pull the loose end of the lace all the way through the knot you've just created or it will come apart.
    • Continue pulling the loop down and across to slide it back towards the eyelet — when the knot is tight, it should be touching (or else lie very close to) the eyelet.
  7. This one-handed knot is surprisingly tight and should stay fastened through daily activity. When you're ready to take your shoe off, simply pull the free end of the lace and the knot should come apart with ease.
    • A word of warning: as you loosen the laces before you take your shoe off, try not to let the loose end of the lace get pulled back through the eyelet. It can be tricky and time-consuming to work the lace back through the eyelet when you re-tie your shoes, especially if you're using one hand.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    How do you tie shoelaces without them coming undone?
    Kai Ng
    Certified Running Coach
    Kai Ng is a USATF and RRCA Certified Running Coach at Run Coach Kai. Kai has competed in over 55 races and over 15 marathons, and has trained with 16x USA and World record holder Patti Catalano Dillonso. He specializes in coaching runners of all levels and showing people that everyone can be a runner. Kai is committed to helping his clients reach their goals by showing them how to run with proper form and holding them accountable to train consistently.
    Kai Ng
    Certified Running Coach
    Expert Answer
    Try a variation on the typical "bunny ears" method. Start by making the first loop—then, take the second shoelace, go around the outside (away from your body), create a loop, and tie it up.
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      Tips

      • Use long laces — you can always tuck extra slack into your shoe, but there's not much you can do if you don't have enough length to work with.
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      • If you have a hard time keeping track of your laces when tying complex knots, try dying one half of each lace a different color (or buying specially made shoelaces that are dyed this way.) This makes it a little easier — since your "right" and "left" laces look different, they're harder to mix up.
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      References

      1. ↑ http://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/surgeons-knot/
      2. ↑ http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/surgeonknot.htm
      3. ↑ http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/halloweenknot.htm
      4. ↑ http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/onehandedknot.htm

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      Reader Success Stories

      • Mike Oxlong

        Jun 9, 2021

        "I'm a 56 year old man and I've relied on my children to tie my laces. This was very informative and now I ..." more
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