Over Under Lacing

I'm a longtime fan of your site and had some feedback for the Over Under lacing method page. I think that it would be helpful for your site to have a “Variation 2” for this method where the final lace path has the laces going in through the top eyelets instead of going out through them (in other words, shoes with an even number of eyelet pairs being laced starting straight across on the inside and out through the bottom eyelets and shoes with an odd number of eyelet pairs being laced starting straight across on the outside and in through the bottom eyelets). I find that this variation of Over Under lacing works very well if you have a preference for tucking your shoelaces into your shoes or boots because it hides most of the shoelace knot (or shoelace ends if you don't tie the laces).

Additionally, I have been lately experimenting with a variation of Over Under lacing in which the laces follow the same idea as the CAF Combat Boot lacing method, where one side is zigzagged up the shoe and the other side following afterwards. For aesthetic purposes, I lace my shoes so that the “Over” crossovers have the top diagonal pointing to the big toe and the “Under” crossovers have the top diagonal pointing to the little toe. While I'm still trying this method out, others that I've introduced to this variation say that they like how the laces feel smoother to pull and adjust. I think this variation would also be cool to see posted as a method on your site.

– [anonymous], USA, Jul-2026

Learning the “over under” lacing and your secure knot gave me disproportionate amounts of joy given how simple they are haha. Thanks for contributing that small token of knowledge to my life. :)

– Casey M., Canada, Jun-2026

I'm a big fan of your over-under lacing style.

– Rain, California, USA, Jun-2026

Thanks for your over under lacing guidance that makes it easier to tighten laces

– Frank B., USA, Feb-2026

I’m so used to the super standard way of lacing them and I could instantly tell how much easier this variation was to tie and loosen, so thank you again.

– Waasser, Oct-2023

Your site's great; I've used your Mega Ian Shoelace Knot many times. I also use your site as a reference for other things, such as Over Under Lacing, whenever I'm too lazy to remember what the amount of eyelets on a given shoe means in terms of starting the lacing.

– Larry C., Jul-2023

Over Under Lacing is one of the best lacing technics because it not only looks great, it also cuts the tightening time by half. I've been using it for years and I highly recommend it.

Fotis L., Athens, Greece, Dec-2022

I'm not sure if this is a “new” method of tying shoes, but it's the one I use, and it's slightly different from your “Over Under” lacing method. The over under method involves dropping the right-hand lace end and picking up the left-hand lace every couple of holes. Instead, I lace the right-hand lace up all the way, then lace the left-hand lace all the way, then tighten. This means you only have to pick up each lace end once – less fiddling about means it's quicker. In your diagrams, if you lace the blue lace first, it means the yellow lace is always on top of the blue lace.

Anyway, I thought I'd pass this one along. Maybe it doesn't count as a new lacing method, but if it does, I call it the “Under Over” lacing method, because you do the “under” lace all the way up the shoe, then the “over” lace, all the way up the shoe.

Ian C., Oct-2022

I recently acquired a pair of Corcoran 1500s, timeless to style, but time-consuming to lace with 12 eyelet pairs! Using an under-over from the bottom to the 5th eyelet for keeping my foot secure, adding the gap/army lacing “jump” to skip over the 6th eyelet that cut into my leg when moving and put undue tension on the leather, finishing with 4 rows of bar lacing to provide even and comfortable support, then using the 11th and 12th eyelets to form a lace lock, I made my already perfect jump boots even better!

- James D., Aug-2022

I was looking at the Over Under Lacing method and it is the exact method that I was taught in Basic Military Training in the US Air Force.

Maybe this could fit in the military category.

– Ryan M., USA, Oct-2019

I have been working as a Firefighter/Paramedic for 8 years now, and I have always used tactical boots with zippers on the sides, and never had much issue or need to deviate from standard lacing.
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I tried a few different methods, which helped some, but still left me tying and untying both the starting knot and the finishing knot (which is no easy feat in a dark room in the middle of the night), and then I found it, the “Ukrainian method” and immediately my problem was solved! With a few modifications, it has become absolutely perfect for my needs (not to mention it looks 1000% better than the ugly zippers). I have the aglet's both tied in separate overhand knots inside the eyelets of the top of the boot. The next loop down I have the Ukrainian captive starting knot (which makes ALL the difference for the rapid donning.) Going downward I have an “Over Under lacing pattern” which aids significantly in the rapid tightening and loosening, (The X marks the spot to pull!). And then if all those aren't amazing enough, then comes the “Ian Knot”, which is the cherry on top, the icing on the cake, and the grand finale all rolled into one amazing lightning fast move! Now all my needs (more like strong wants) are met. I no longer worry about the laces coming out of the eyes or dragging on the ground when loose. I no longer worry about quickly tightening. I no longer worry about rapid tying or untying. All of it is solved.

– David D., Michigan, USA, Sep-2017

I thought of a simple mnemonic to help remember your rule about starting the bottom lacing UNDER if the number of eyelets is odd when tying the Over-Under Lacing. It is simply:

“eVen oVer, oDd unDer”

I got the idea from the standard caver/geologist's mnemonic “stalaCtite Ceiling, stalaGmite Ground”.

– Larry A., Aug-2006

All my life I used the “Shoe Shop Lacing” and always thought that was the only way to lace shoes.
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I decided to go for the “Over Under” lacing now and the result is much better. I think this is because of the more symetric way of lacing.

– Jacob v.F., The Hague, The Netherlands, Sep-2004

funnily enough i have also come to the conclusion that the over and under lacing method is best – quickest to tension and loosen, and also provides an even tension across the shoe, but that is the extent of my pursuit

– Ian P., New Zealand, Mar-2004