Stooping down to re-tie those #@!* shoelaces must be the bane of every golfer’s existence. Imagine there is a way to tie them so that you’ll never have to think about them again.
There is. Read on.
Dress for success: snug is best.
Snug as a bug in a rug is how you want your foot to feel in your shoe. Especially mid-foot. Snug does not mean super-tight. Snug means little to no movement during your swing.
We all tend to pull our laces tighter with each re-tie, as though our shoes are feet corsets. The laces are inanimate. They do not care for your willful intention of keeping them from coming undone.
But you are the boss of your feet and your laces. Where there is a will there’s a way.
The mystery of the undoing shoelace (explained)
Would you believe that people have committed time and energy to study the why and how of knots coming loose? Who knew?! We’re sure glad they did!
There are two forces of evil working together in knot-destruction harmony!
- As you walk the impact of your foot hitting the ground loosens the knot. You can’t see it, but it is happening right in front of you.
- The knot’s integrity has gone for a ball of chalk, and the whipping of the leg in motion makes the laces slip, or pull apart, like with an invisible hand.
The final shoelace knot failure happens in a matter of seconds, but the shoelaces have been working at it like an uncompliant captive.
Knot’s landing
The integrity of your shoelace knot comes from how it lies across the top of your shoe. If the way you tie your laces causes the knot to lie parallel (North/South) on your shoe, then you’ve set yourself up for failure and the knot is going to be undone.
If you tie your laces so that the knot lies perpendicular (East/West) on your shoe, then apparently success is yours and your knot remains.
Now would be a good time for you to grab your kicks, because class is in session and we’re going to be testing some suggestions and instructions to see what works best!
Over-under lacing.
- Thread the shoelace through the bottom eyelets so that you have an equal length of lace for each side.
- Cross the left and right side laces to the opposite eyelets making an “X” pattern to the top.
- Take both laces, thread them and pull tight (not corset tight). Make your two bunny loops. Instead of wrapping the one around the other away from you, wrap it towards you.
BOOM! Over-under alleged indestructible lace and knot tying technique.
No-tie shoe lacing.
An alternative shoe-lacing method is to have no knot at all. There are two key components to making this work.
- Use the same “X” pattern as the over-under lacing method, and adjust the laces as you go to create snugness around your mid-foot while you work your way to the top.
- Make a shoe or lace anchor. You either buy the little doodad and slip the top part of your lace into it in the final eyelet and tie a bow for show, or
- You make your own anchor by tying little flat knots with your laces on the inside of the top eyelet and tuck your shoelaces down the inside of the shoe.
Quite a few runners out there use this method with no report of their shoes feeling loose or coming off, or better yet their laces coming undone. It may be worth a shot.
Ian’s secure knot.
If over-under and no-tie are knot (pun-intended) your speed, then knowing how to tie a classic you’re-going-nowhere knot is where the money’s at! I have no idea who Ian is, but his knot is indeed secure. Check out this fun, easy-to-follow video from Mully & Tomoko on how to do it.
The knot is specifically intended for those rounded laces that are slinky and tend to come undone often, but I tested this bad boy out on my regular laces. I guess I’m wearing my shoes to bed tonight.
Conclusion: Teaching the old dog new tricks
The success of your golfing game relies in part on the success of your lacing game. Nobody has time for a re-tie stoop right before you need to make your dazzling shot. Nobody will ever take you seriously again if you allow your laces to sabotage your putt.
And you can rest assured knowing that the golfing industry gurus have been working hard to develop tie-less shoe technology for your golfing pleasure. There are in fact such products already available.
The time of shoelaces coming undone is over. There’s a new Sherriff in town.
