Ian's Shoelace Site – Zipper Lacing

At each eyelet, hook under the prior crossover to “lock” the laces, which helps when lacing tightly. Also looks interesting – a bit like a giant zipper.

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.

• The ends are looped under the laces where they feed under the sides of the shoe.

• Cross the ends, feeding under the sides and out through the next higher set of eyelets.

• Repeat the looping and crossing and feeding out through the next higher eyelets until lacing is completed.

Features

Decorative look

Holds very firmly

Harder to tighten

“Shortens” ends

Notes

One of the biggest difficulties when tightening shoes is that of keeping the lower sections tight while working on the upper sections. With Zipper Lacing, each row is given a pair of simple “knots” – one at each eyelet. The knots effectively “lock” that row's tension while the next row is tightened. This makes it a great lacing for skates, boots, climbing shoes, or any footwear where very firm support is needed.

Zipper Lacing Gallery

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Zipper Lacing Video

Watch video: How to Zipper Lace your shoes

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Shoelace Lengths for Zipper Lacing

Pairs of eyelets	Approximate length needed		“Shortens” ends by
8 pairs	137 cm	54 in	–1.5 cm	–0.6 in
7 pairs	126 cm	50 in	–1.3 cm	–0.5 in
6 pairs	115 cm	45 in	–1.1 cm	–0.4 in
5 pairs	104 cm	41 in	–0.9 cm	–0.4 in
4 pairs	93 cm	37 in	–0.7 cm	–0.3 in
3 pairs	82 cm	32 in	–0.4 cm	–0.2 in
2 pairs	71 cm	28 in	–0.2 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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