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One Handed Lacing
As an alternative to the One Handed Shoelace Knot, this way of lacing eliminates the need to even tie a knot by leaving one end loose. The friction of the eyelets is sufficient to keep the lacing fairly tight.
Diagram for 8 pairs of eyelets
Pairs
8
7
6
5
4
Step
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0

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Lacing Technique:
• Take a lace that's slightly shorter than usual and begin by tying a knot in one end.
• Feed the un-knotted end of the lace from inside the top right eyelet and pull it through until stopped with the knot snug against the eyelet.
• Zig-zag the lace through the eyelets down to the bottom of the shoe similar to Shoe Shop Lacing.
• The loose (blue) end can simply be tucked into the lacing to keep it from being stepped on.

Features:
Disabled use
Surprisingly easy
Loose fit
16% longer ends (on average)
Notes:
The idea is that shoes have the most tension at the top of the lacing and very little at the bottom. With the knot holding the bulk of the tension at the top end, the friction of the shoelace passing through every eyelet is sufficient to stop the bottom end from slipping out even though it is "loose". This concept works best with either small eyelets or fat shoelaces.

To tighten, start at the top of the lacing and work towards the bottom. To loosen, start from the bottom of the lacing and work towards the top.
Variations:
Knotted onto eyelet - see enlargement below 1. If having the knot inside the shoe is uncomfortable, position it on the outside by feeding the knotted shoelace into the top right eyelet. Alternatively, you can feed the shoelace through the eyelet and then tie the lace back onto itself. In other words, knot the shoelace onto the eyelet.

2. For a tighter, more secure fit, substitute either thicker shoelaces or cotton shoelaces with a rougher surface.

3. For greater security, the loose end may be passed a second time through the bottom right eyelet (or any convenient eyelet). Because this eyelet ends up with two passes of shoelace, it will be quite a tight fit, which will stay pretty secure.

4. For maximum security, pass the loose end back out through the top left eyelet, then tie it off with a simple loop knot as shown in the One Handed Shoelace Knot.

5. A decorative way to use up the excess length of the loose end is to weave the shoelace up and down through the horizontal sections, forming a woven mat (as in the fourth photo below).

6. The left and right shoes can be laced in reverse (mirror image) so as to end up with a symmetrical look.

Scouts' Lacing diagram 7. This diagram, taken from a 1929 book "Scouting for Boys" and sent to me by Alex, shows a very similar method: "Shoe Laced in the Scout's Way". While it's not meant specifically for one hand, it can be used exactly the same way, and could be considered a One Handed Lacing variation. The main difference is that it starts at the bottom, then runs diagonally to the top before continuing as above.


One Handed Lacing Gallery
Lacing photo
White and purple Nike AF1s with One Handed Lacing
Lacing photo
Lacing photo
Lacing photo
Lacing photo
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Shoelace Lengths for One Handed Lacing
Pairs of eyelets: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Length needed: 47 cm
18 inch
57 cm
22 inch
67 cm
26 inch
77 cm
30 inch
88 cm
34 inch
98 cm
39 inch
108 cm
43 inch
Lengths available: 27" 27" 27" 27" 36" 40" 45"
Comparative Length:
Shorter shoelaces needed than those for basic Criss Cross Lacing.
Longer ends if existing shoelaces are re-used (+16% on average).
• These are approximate shoelace lengths for using this lacing on an average sized sneaker.
• For more accurate lengths, use the Shoelace Length Calculator.


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Related Links
Shoe Shop Lacing Shoe Shop Lacing
Identical layout except that the ends are tied across the top.
One Handed Shoelace Knot One Handed Knot
Also for one-handed use, for those who prefer the security of a knot.

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