Ian's Shoelace Site – Loop Back Lacing

Each side loops back on itself down the middle, rather like when two springs become intertwined. Those loop backs may shift off-centre.

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 inside (grey section) and out through the bottom eyelets.

• At each eyelet pair, the ends are given a half twist in the middle of the shoe before looping back and returning to the outside.

• The ends are fed under the sides and out through the next higher set of eyelets.

• Repeat until lacing is completed.

Features

Decorative look

Laces wear more

Centreline may shift

“Shortens” ends

Notes

• Loop Back lacing looks best on shoes with thick, round shoelaces, especially light colored laces on dark colored shoes. These accentuate the fact that the laces loop back on themselves rather than simply crossing over each other.

• When combined with Half & Half Lacing, the result is a different color on each side of the shoe. Note that the division doesn't have to run neatly down the middle of the shoe. It can instead be run at an angle, as demonstrated in the photo below.

Loop Back Lacing Gallery

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More photos of Loop Back Lacing

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Shoelace Lengths for Loop Back Lacing

Pairs of eyelets	Approximate length needed		“Shortens” ends by
8 pairs	137 cm	54 in	–1.8 cm	–0.7 in
7 pairs	126 cm	50 in	–1.6 cm	–0.6 in
6 pairs	115 cm	45 in	–1.3 cm	–0.5 in
5 pairs	104 cm	41 in	–1.0 cm	–0.4 in
4 pairs	93 cm	37 in	–0.8 cm	–0.3 in
3 pairs	82 cm	32 in	–0.5 cm	–0.2 in
2 pairs	71 cm	28 in	–0.3 cm	–0.1 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

• Longer shoelaces needed than those for basic Criss Cross Lacing.

• If the original shoelaces are re-used, this method effectively shortens the ends.

More details about length comparisons.

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