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Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot
Also known as the "Double Slip Knot" |
This knot combines the best features of numerous secure shoelace knots, with particular emphasis on symmetry: Cross
two loops and pass them both through the "hole" in the middle. Great for serious sports or for securing slippery
laces.
It turns out that I'd re-invented an existing knot that was almost completely unknown, probably through having been
given the technical name "Double Slip Knot", which makes it sound
less secure than other knots. See my
Technical Info page for more details.
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Step 1:
Tie a Left-over-Right
Starting Knot as shown, then make both laces into "loops" by simply doubling them back onto themselves. People
often refer to these as "Bunny Ears".
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Step 2:
Cross the two loops over each other so that the right (blue) loop ends up in front and the left (yellow) loop ends
up behind. The yellow loop is now the right loop.
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Step 3:
Begin to wrap the right (yellow) loop around the left (blue) loop to end up in front.
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Step 4:
At the same time, begin to wrap the left (blue) loop around the back. You will end up with the ends of both loops
on opposite sides of the "hole" in the middle.
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Step 5:
Feed both ends of the loops through the hole in the middle. The right (yellow) loop goes out the back and the left
(blue) loop comes out the front.
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Step 6:
Now, simply pull the loops to tighten the knot. The whole twisted mess of the previous drawing will rearrange
itself into a neat finished knot. Trust me, it works!
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Finished Knot
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The finished knot should be a tight, closed knot with a symmetrical, double wrap around the middle, as compared to
the single wrap of either my
Ian Knot or any
Standard Shoelace Knot. |
TIP:
If your finished knot looks uneven or twisted, it may help to pull on the lace ends to partly
un-tie your laces; this will bring the outer sections of the knot together, making the inner section more even.
Then, pull on the loops once again to re-tighten the knot.
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How Much More Secure?
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My own testing shows that the Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot needs almost
three times the tension to pull it undone than either the
Ian Knot or any
Standard Shoelace Knot. See my
Technical Info page for more details.
This extra security is fast becoming indispensable as more and more shoes nowadays are sold with round, slippery
laces. It's also great for people who are very active on their feet, such as when playing serious sports, mountain
climbing or even dancing, as well as for yachties whose boat shoes are constantly getting wet. See my
Testimonials page to read some of the varied benefits that others have discovered.
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For normal activities, the
Ian Knot or other standard knots should be quite secure. I believe that many people seek more secure knots
because they are, without realizing, tying their shoelaces with an un-balanced "Granny Knot". Please see my
Slipping Shoelace Knots? page that discusses this in detail.
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Related Links
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Surgeon's Knot
Identical knot using a different technique (less symmetrical).
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Flip Book
User-controllable animation of the Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot sequence.
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Turquoise Turtle Knot
Identical knot using another different technique (also less symmetrical).
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Two Loop Knot
Simplified, less secure variation of this knot.
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Sponsored Links
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This page last updated: 26-Mar-2012. Copyright © 2003-2012 by
Ian W. Fieggen. All rights reserved.
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