Ian's Shoelace Site – Display Shoe Lacing

Inside-out version of Criss Cross Lacing, often used by shoe stores and photographers to hide the loose ends inside their display shoes.

Eight pairs of eyelets

Pairs

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

Flip

⇄

Lacing diagram Copyright (c) 2023 by Ian Fieggen

Step

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Lacing Technique

• Begin straight across on the outside (grey section) and in through the bottom eyelets.

• At each eyelet pair, cross the ends, feeding in through the next higher set of eyelets. Repeat until lacing is completed.

• At the top, the ends remain hidden inside the shoe.

Features

Tidy look

Easier to loosen

Harder to tighten

Notes

This lacing is sometimes referred to as “Canadian Lacing”, based on its use by some Canadian ice hockey players, who believe that it creates a tighter fit for ice skates. In this case, the laces would obviously be tied across the top (rather than tucked in).

This comes at the expense of being more difficult to tighten because it's harder to get fingers under the laces from the bottom of the shoe and pull up.

On the flip side, this lacing can be loosened more easily because it's easier to get fingers under the laces from the top of the shoe and pull down.

Display Shoe Lacing Gallery

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More photos of Display Shoe Lacing

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Display Shoe Lacing Video

Watch video: How to Display Shoe Lace your shoes

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Shoelace Lengths for Display Shoe Lacing

Pairs of eyelets	Approximate length needed
8 pairs	134 cm	53 in
7 pairs	123 cm	48 in
6 pairs	113 cm	44 in
5 pairs	102 cm	40 in
4 pairs	92 cm	36 in
3 pairs	81 cm	32 in
2 pairs	71 cm	28 in

NOTE: These are approximate shoelace lengths for using this lacing on an average sized sneaker. For more accurate lengths, use the Shoelace Length Calculator.

Comparative Length

• Same length shoelaces as those for basic Criss Cross Lacing.

More details about length comparisons.

Visitor Feedback

It seems like display style lacing has gained massive popularity in the last ten years or so. Shoes like converse chuck taylors and jack purcells can be commonly seen laced in this fashion when traditionally they were laced criss cross. I have gone with both methods over the years and have come to the conclusion that while display looks good on some shoes, the criss cross method is much better in terms of comfort and ease of tightening laces. I recently relaced my jacks from display to criss cross and it's amazing how much less pressure I feel on the top of my foot and easier to adjust they are. I always used to think not bridging the first eyelet was visually unappealing, but it's alot easier to get shoes or boots uniformly tight this way and feels very secure.

– Blake R., Oct-2020

In most shoe stores, the shoes come pre-laced from the manufacturer, either with “Shoe Shop” lacing or “Display Shoe” lacing, depending on the type of shoe.

The shop assistant rarely laces new shoes at all, except in the cases where the store has a policy of relacing shoes to make them easier for customers to try on (usually with Straight (European) Lacing or Criss-Cross Lacing).

– Lars R., shoe store assistant, Jul-2008

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