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Hidden Knot Lacing
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By hiding the knot underneath, the result is an uninterrupted series of straight "bars" that looks particularly
distinctive on dress shoes or sneakers alike.
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Faint sections are underneath
Here's where the knot is tied.
Finished lacing with knot and loose ends tucked into the shoe.
This pic of black Orisis sneakers with white Hidden Knot Lacing was sent to me by Yoana G.
More Lacing Photos |
Lacing Technique:
1. Lace the shoe as per Straight (Bar) Lacing, except that the left
(blue) end is made shorter and the right (yellow) end is made longer.
2. Run the the left (blue) end only as far as the second eyelet from the top left, ending up inside the shoe.
3. Run the right (yellow) end across the top pair of eyelets, also ending up inside the shoe.
4. The ends now meet between the top left eyelet and the next eyelet down. Carefully tie the knot inside the
shoe at that point. This can either be tied with a Standard Shoelace Knot or with a
simpler knot like a Reef Knot (as shown in the diagram at left).
5. Finally, tuck the loose ends inside the shoe wherever they are most comfortable.
Features:
Distinctive look
Tricky to tie knot
Slight discomfort
Comparative Length = 81%
Laced area uses less (about −19%)
Shorter laces needed (about −9%)
Lengthens lace ends (about +17%)
More details
NOTE:
Any discomfort that may be caused by the knot and loose ends being tucked into the shoe can be reduced by
positioning the knot on the outer side of your foot.
Note also that, like some other versions of Straight Lacing, this method only works correctly on shoes with
even numbers of eyelet pairs (eg. 6 pairs = 12 eyelets). This is because an even number of passes across the
shoe is needed for the lace ends to meet and to be tied together. Shoes with an
odd number of eyelet pairs (eg. 7 pairs = 14 eyelets) finish with the lace ends diagonally opposite each other
at the top of the shoe.
Despite this limitation, Straight Lacing is
very popular. It's therefore not surprising that people have developed all sorts of ways to get it to work on
shoes with odd numbers of eyelet pairs (eg. the grey Puma sneaker at left).
See below for some other
workarounds.
Sports / Military Advice:
Like other straight lacing methods, Hidden Knot Lacing has an additional benefit for sporting or military use: The
upper horizontal sections of shoelace can be quickly cut through with a knife or scissors in order to more easily
remove a boot from a broken, sprained or otherwise injured ankle or foot.
Note that most military forces have regulations for just about everything, so I'd recommend that military personnel
check before they adopt this, or any other, possible non-regulation lacing method! |
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Odd Workarounds
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As mentioned above, Hidden Knot Lacing only works correctly on shoes with even numbers of eyelet
pairs. On shoes with odd numbers of eyelet pairs, the ends don't meet at the top, instead ending up
diagonally across from each other. Here's several common workarounds, using a shoe with seven pairs of eyelets
as an example.
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Skip One Eyelet Pair
One solution is to simply not use either the top or the bottom pair of eyelets. Using only an even number of eyelet
pairs avoids the odd limitation.
It's also possible to skip a pair of eyelets somewhere in the middle, which breaks the lacing into two sections.
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One Diagonal
Use a single diagonal crossover somewhere in the lacing. At the top, it's less noticeable due to the bows &
shoelace ends. At the bottom, you can even run the diagonal around the inside of the tongue, making it invisible
at the expense of some slight discomfort. Near the middle of the lacing, a diagonal may be positioned to line up
with and run through a tongue centering loop (if the shoe has one).
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One Crossover
Instead of trying to hide a single diagonal, this alternative makes a feature out of a single crossover, similar
to the look of Over Under Lacing. This crossover can be placed at either the top or bottom of the lacing, but
unlike the above "One Diagonal" variation, it cannot be placed in the middle of the lacing.
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Cut and Tie Off
Similar to the single diagonal shown above, the shoelace can be cut (where the diagonal would have been) and the
ends tied off on opposite sides of the shoe. In this diagram, the knotted ends are hidden underneath the bottom
left eyelet and the second from bottom right eyelet.
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Double Overlap
This unusual solution works by doubling up the laces through the second from bottom pair of eyelets. Because it's
near the bottom of the shoe, any difficulty with tightening this section is not so noticeable as the shoe doesn't
need to open wide at that point.
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Across and Back
The second from bottom straight section runs across left-to-right (on top), then right-to-left (underneath),
passing under itself on the left side. The underlying section is fairly well hidden by the straight section on
top.
This is the preferred method for dress shoes with three pairs of eyelets, with the lacing running across & back
under the middle pair of eyelets.
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This list of workarounds is by no means complete. Once you accept that there's no perfect solution and that you
must compromise in some way, it's up to you what you throw into the lacing to get it to work, whether it be a
visible crossover or gap, or something invisible that may be uncomfortable.
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Recent Photos (sent by site visitors)
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Hover over any photo for details, or click to enlarge in the
Shoe Lacing Photos page.
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This page last updated: 20-Jan-2012. Copyright © 2004-2012 by
Ian W. Fieggen. All rights reserved.
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