Berluti Shoelace Knot
Also known as the “Double Shoestring Knot”, this is a secure knot popularized by Olga Berluti. Begin as per the Standard Shoelace Knot and finish by feeding the opposite loop through the middle before tightening.
Step 1:
Begin with a regular Left-over-Right Starting Knot.
Step 2:
Make the right (blue) end into a “loop” by simply doubling it back onto itself.
Step 3:
Take the left (yellow) end and pass it around to the right, going behind the right loop.
Step 4:
Continue the left (yellow) end around the right loop to end up in front.
Step 5:
Start to push the left (yellow) lace into the “hole” that has just been made.
Step 6:
The yellow lace comes out through the back of the hole to form a right (yellow) loop.
Up to this point, the knot is exactly the same as the Standard Shoelace Knot – but don't pull it tight just yet!
Step 7:
Wrap the left (blue) loop around the back and begin to feed it through the back of the hole in the middle.
Step 8:
The left (blue) loop emerges through the front of the hole and continues towards the left-hand side.
Step 9:
Now, simply pull the loops to tighten the knot. The whole twisted mess of the previous drawing will rearrange itself into a fairly neat finished knot.
Finished Knot Gallery
The finished Berluti Shoelace Knot should be a tight, closed knot with a double wrap around the middle – although the left loose end only passes through one of those wraps.
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Technical Details
Origin of the name
According to the Berluti website, it was designer Olga Berluti who introduced the knot in the 1970s, taking her inspiration from the royal Duke of Windsor (who in turn popularized the “Windsor Knot” for neckties).
In fact, the knot is identical to the pre-existing “Double Shoestring Knot”, which appears as #1216 in “The Ashley Book of Knots” by Clifford Ashley.
Double starting knot
The Berluti Shoelace Knot is often described with a Double Starting Knot – which I consider to be an “optional extra” that can be used to tie any shoelace knot more tightly.
My instructions and diagrams for this knot therefore begin with the simpler regular Starting Knot. This also made all of the diagrams easier for me to draw and for visitors to understand.
Different techniques
I've seen conflicting instructions for the Berluti Shoelace Knot.
The video on the berluti.com website actually shows a slightly different secure knot (the Surgeon's Shoelace Knot). There are several other Berluti Knot videos circulating on YouTube that also show slightly different techniques.
The technique shown on this web page is based on the original set of sketches that I found on the berluti.com website some time around 2008. Berluti have since changed to a very minimalist set of line diagrams – although still showing the identical technique.
In addition, this technique produces a finished knot that corresponds with photos that I've seen elsewhere of Berluti shoes that have arrived pre-tied from the factory. This makes me even more certain that the technique shown on this web page is the preferred method.
Knot security
The Berluti Shoelace Knot has slightly assymetrical security due to the way the loose ends pass under the double wrap in the middle of the knot.
The loose end on the right side is secured under both wraps, similar to my Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot (and several other secure knots). However, the loose end on the left side is secured under only one of the wraps, similar to the Standard Shoelace Knot. This means that pulling the left end will untie the knot more easily than pulling the right end.
Overall, this makes the knot slightly more secure than other “standard” shoelace knots – but slightly less secure than many of the other “secure” shoelace knots.
NOTE: 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 Granny Knot page that discusses this in detail.
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More “Berluti Knot” Pages
Flip Book
Animated Flip Book for the Berluti Shoelace Knot.
Feedback
Visitors' Feedback about the Berluti Shoelace Knot.
Related Links
Berluti website
Berluti Shoelace Knot on the berluti.com website.
Standard Knot
Simplified, less secure variation of this knot.
Surgeon's Knot
Slightly different knot that starts similarly but ends up more secure.
Software
Graphics
Ian
Chris
Tree