Shoelace Tips for the Elderly / Disabled

Shoelace Tips for the Elderly / Disabled

As if shoelaces aren't difficult enough, they can present extra challenges for the elderly and/or disabled. This section contains some useful tips for people with certain limitations.

Arthritis / Stroke Sufferers

  • Replace thin shoelaces with soft, wide laces that are easier to grip.
  • Use tweezers to grip the aglets when pulling them out through the eyelets (from Corvidae M.)
  • For easier tightening, use Over Under Lacing or any variation of Straight Lacing, as this makes it easier to get fingers under the shoelaces.
  • Reduce the time spent bending down & tying shoelaces by learning the Ian Knot, the World's Fastest Shoelace Knot.
  • Granny Knot To reduce unnecessary re-tying of shoelaces, check that you're not inadvertently tying an un-balanced Granny Knot, which comes undone.
  • To eliminate tying altogether, replace normal shoelaces with either elastic laces or curly laces, converting the shoe into a slip-on.

Lack of Tying Strength

  • To avoid having to tie as tightly, replace slippery synthetic laces with cotton laces, which hold a knot better.
  • Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot If your knots still come undone, try learning the Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot, which can be tied less tightly yet will still hold secure.
  • To reduce unnecessary re-tying of shoelaces, check that you're not inadvertently tying an un-balanced Granny Knot, which comes undone.
  • To eliminate tying altogether, replace normal shoelaces with either elastic laces or curly laces, converting the shoe into a slip-on.

One Handed / One Armed People

  • One Handed Shoelace Knot The One Handed Shoelace Knot is a combination of lacing plus a simple knot that can be tightened and tied with one hand.
  • For the more adventurous, the “Ian Knot” technique can be used to tie a regular shoelace bow with one hand, as shown in this video.
  • Try the One Handed Lacing, which eliminates the need to learn a one-handed knot.

Vision Impaired

  • To make the laces easier to see, use wider shoelaces with colors that are bright or that contrast well against the shoes.

If you have any useful shoelace tips for the elderly or disabled, please Contact Ian so that they can be shared with others.

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This page last updated: 02-Sep-2023. Copyright © 2005-2023 by Ian W. Fieggen. All rights reserved.

Website created by Ian Fieggen (aka. “Professor Shoelace”), inventor of the Ian Knot.

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