Welcome to Ian's Shoelace Site!

Lacing Shoes

Are all of your shoes, sneakers and boots still laced up the way they were when you bought them? This section presents some of the many fascinating ways of lacing, either for different applications or just for appearances.

Tying Shoelaces

Most people learn how to tie their shoelaces around the age of five. Why then would anyone older than that visit a website about tying shoelaces? Whether you're a parent, teacher, occupational therapist, academic, knot enthusiast, or just after some self-help, there's something for you.

The "Granny Knot"

Do your shoelace bows sit vertically instead of across the shoe? Do your shoelaces always come undone? If so, you're probably tying a "Granny Knot". Learn how to keep your shoelaces tied by creating a "balanced" knot that sits straight and stays secure.

Shoelace Lengths

The rhetorical question: "How long is a piece of string?" is a serious question when it comes to shoelaces. Too long and the ends can drag or get stepped on. Too short and it can be difficult to tie a knot. This section should help you work out the ideal shoelace length.

Tips of Shoelaces = Aglets

Many people search for shoelace "tips" or "ends" because they want to know the name of the plastic or metal bits at the ends of shoelaces. They're called "Aglets", and you can find out more about them here, including how to repair or replace them.

Shoelace Tips, Hints & Ideas

This section contains all sorts of tips, hints and ideas about shoelaces. There's tips for teaching children, tips for sportspeople, tips for the elderly and disabled, plus general tips for everyone.

Shoelace Marketplace

Buy some stuff – and support Ian! The marketplace contains shoelaces and accessories from selected merchants, my own Android and iOS app "Ian's Laces", my own book "Laces" (2007) plus other shoelace books.

Charity and Awareness Shoelaces

Ever noticed a group of people wearing the same color shoelaces? They're most likely part of a charity fundraiser or awareness campaign. Find out what the different colors represent, or better still, show your support by buying some shoelaces.

Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.)

You'll find the answers to Frequently Asked Questions here, mainly for the benefit of people typing those questions into search engines. It's also worth looking here before you send me a question for which I've already posted an answer.

Shoelaces As Seen In...

Shoelaces are common, useful items that are very much a part of our lives. Here's some "As Seen In..." moments where shoelaces make noteworthy appearances in movies, TV shows, the news, even the Bible.

Shoelace & Knotting Links

Here's some links to other shoelace and knot related websites. Providing links is good "Netiquette", enabling the Internet to effectively become its own index.

Added Zipper Lacing video

05-Jun-2019 – Added YouTube video of Zipper Lacing, an interesting looking method that "locks" at each eyelet pair, making it great for tightly lacing skates or boots.

Updated Ian's Laces App

26-May-2019 – Months of painstaking work have gone into illustrating and programming an all-new Android version of my previous iOS app, "Ian's Laces". Support Ian – buy the app!

Updated Shoelaces As Seen In The News

30-Apr-2019 – Added news story about a male model in Sao Paulo whose shoelaces were suspected of contributing to his fall from the catwalk and subsequent death.

Updated Checkerboard Lacing

27-Apr-2019 – The original Checkerboard Lacing diagrams used thick segments for a solid checkerboard appearance. These have now been re-drawn to "standard" thickness to ensure that they appear less dense than the recently added Dense Checker Lacing.

Added Dense Checker Lacing

27-Apr-2019 – Added a variation of Checkerboard Lacing with doubled horizontal sections, giving twice as many rows for the verticals to be woven through, resulting in a much more dense checker pattern.

Updated Shoelaces As Seen In The News

14-Apr-2019 – Added news story about an autistic boy's lawsuit against police for using excessive force in attempting to arrest him after he innocently stopped to tie his shoelace.