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Hiking Lacing / Biking Lacing
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An inside-out version of
Straight (Bar) Lacing, which distributes pressure evenly plus keeps the knots & ends to the side. For hiking /
bushwalking, position the knots on the inside, away from snagging undergrowth. For biking / cycling, position them
on the outside, away from chains & cranks. |
David O. sent me this pic of his hiking boots with Hiking / Biking Lacing.
More Lacing Photos |
Lacing Technique:
1. The lace is run straight across the bottom (grey section) and emerges through both bottom eyelets.
2. One end of the lace (yellow end) runs straight up the right side, is fed into and runs straight across the
second set of eyelets.
3. Both ends now run straight up the left side, each skipping one eyelet before feeding in two eyelets higher up.
4. Continue running both ends across the shoe, then straight up two eyelets at a time.
5. At the top of the shoe, the laces end up on the same side and the shoelace knot is tied at that point.
Features:
Evens out pressure
Reduces snagging
Messy look
Comparative Length = 81%
Laced area uses less (about −19%)
Shorter laces needed (about −9%)
Lengthens lace ends (about +17%)
More details
NOTE:
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. |
Using This Lacing for Hiking / Bushwalking:
Lace one shoe as above and the other shoe in reverse, with both knots positioned towards the
inside (between the ankles). This places the loops and loose ends further away from the outer sides of the
shoes, making them less likely to become snagged in undergrowth whilst hiking / bushwalking.
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Using This Lacing for Biking / Cycling:
Lace one shoe as above and the other shoe in reverse, with both knots positioned towards the
outside. This places the loops and loose ends further away from the bicycle chain, cranks and other moving
parts.
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Which End to Start With?
The lacing starts across the bottom of the shoe (grey section), then one end runs vertically to the next higher
eyelet. The question is: Which end?
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2, 6, 10, 14 etc. eyelet pairs |
4, 8, 12, 16 etc. eyelet pairs |
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Start with the end that is
diagonally opposite to where you want the knot to be. In this example with 6 pairs of eyelets, start at
bottom-right to finish at top-left. |
Start with the end that is on
the same side as where you want the knot to be. In this example with 8 pairs of eyelets, start at bottom-left
to finish at top-left. |
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Odd Workarounds
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As mentioned above, Hiking / Biking 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
Another 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.
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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.
Variations:
For a neater (though slightly less comfortable) variation, the lacing can be done inside-out, with only the top two
horizontal sections fed under the sides of the shoes to emerge through the top and 2nd from top eyelets (where the
knots will be tied). This is effectively a side-knotted version of
Straight (Bar) Lacing.
The result is much neater, particularly when the sneakers have contrasting shoelaces, which would otherwise look
messy with the vertical sections visible on the outside. However, it no longer has the benefit of even pressure
distribution because the straight horizontal sections are now on the outside.
This picture, sent to me by Stephen P., shows some shoes laced this way, with the knots and loose ends positioned
towards the outside for cycling.
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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: 26-Mar-2012. Copyright © 2005-2012 by
Ian W. Fieggen. All rights reserved.
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