How To Tie Your Shoes The Right Way – Yes, You Did It Wrong All Your Life

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If you are like me, you learned how to tie your shoes at a very young age, and you have been doing it the same way ever since, without giving it much thought. However, when I was wearing shoes, I noticed that the knot would always look lopsided after a few hours, and when I walked a bit, the knot would often come undone.

Table of Contents
  1. The Better Way To Tie Your Shoes

Now, I experimented with various double knots and other ways but the added bulk never let the knot look more elegant but just bulkier and it would still twist.

Then, I noticed my bow ties and how they would remain straight all day. The key to making this same principle work for my shoes was very simple, and in today’s video I show you exactly how you can tie your shoes by making just one little change. I did it wrong all my life and chances are you did too.

However, tying your shoes this way will tighten your knot over the day so it won’t loosen up, and it will remain straight and elegant.

For a selection of flat & round boot- and shoelaces

Transcript:

Welcome to the Gentleman’s Gazette! In today’s video, we’re going to talk about tying your shoelaces the way you did in kindergarten. First of all, you need the right shoelaces. You’ll want thin, cotton laces. Don’t go with nylon, they may be good for tennis shoes but not for Oxfords.

If you’re interested in getting high-quality shoelaces, such as these, round and flat in 15 different colors, click here.

If you’re like me, you probably learned to tie your shoes in a way, and you learned it at a very young age and you never thought about it because it worked. So the traditional way of tying your shoes is having the knot, and then you form the loop, you go once around, and you pull it through. Now, that’s actually similar to a bow tie and when you look at it more closely, you can see that it’s slightly angled from left to right, and when you actually pull on the outside of the shoe, you can see how the entire knot points up and down rather than left to right.

The Better Way To Tie Your Shoes

The better way to tie your shoes is to start with the same knot, you form the loop with your right hand but instead of going this way, you now just go the other way and form the loop. Now, it may seem like this is exactly the same thing as it is before but look at the result, it goes from left to right and if you pull on your shoe,actually what happens is it tightens your knot, it doesn’t loosen it and the knot stays in place. This means you won’t have to tie your shoes anymore because when you actually move every time your knot gets tighter and secondly, it just looks very nice because it stays in the same shape from left to right. So with this simple life hack, you not only create a better-looking result but you also have shoelaces that are tight more purposefully and last longer.

Reader Comments

  1. You know, when I saw this in my inbox, I thought… you have to be kidding me. But I allowed myself to be baited and I’m glad I did. By the way, there is even a TED Talk that covers this subject which you may see as a related video when the one above completes. As that video points out, sometimes a very small change gives you a great advantage. So congrats to Raphael for bringing us those little changes that can be big advantages in our daily lives.

    1. Thanks Joe, I appreciate that you followed the bait and clicked on it! It really is a small change with a huge impact!

  2. When I read the title I thought there was going to be a different method altogether. It’s funny how small of a difference in reversing the direction can make. I’m going to have to try this out and relearn tying my shoes. Thanks again!

  3. Have you tried the Ian Knot? It works well to remain tight and comes across very neat and clean.
    Do a quick web search and you’ll find what I’m talking about, and it’s even easier to tie than the traditional and modified options you presented.
    My son learned it while in Cub Scouts many years ago and it has been fun to demonstrate the speed of it comparatively for many years-

  4. As I leardned, the same effect can be achieved by changing just the first knot. Instead of starting with left over right (as you did in the video), try to reverse it and tie the first knot with right over left shoelace and then continue in the way you were taught (forming the loop in the right hand, go once around from the top and pull it through).
    For me, it’s just easier this way, because I’m right-handed and I was taught this way.

    1. Couldn’t said it better myself, i learned it this way myself. What we get are a common square knot, but with loops.

  5. Great tips. My Peal’s, Church’s, and Grenson’s have been living a life of sin. They look so much better now. Thanks so much.

  6. The original technique problem must be an American thing, I cant say I’ve seen the same problem in the UK because left to right seems to be the norm! very useful though Mr Schneider, I did have a go to see which one I do!

    1. Why would it be an American thing? I learned shoelacing in Germany and have friends in the UK who learned it the same way as I did…

  7. You can accomplish the same thing without changing the way the knot is tied.
    Simply start by crossing the left lace over the right lace. Instead of right over left.
    Then tie the knot exactly the same as before. The result is the desireable horizontal loop.

    For a more stable knot that will not have to be retied during the day wrap the lace around twice before tightening.
    Works everytime.

  8. I saw this video and then grabbed a pair just to test it out.
    As it turns out being left-handed had me tying the knot left over right
    all along.

    Turns out there’s at least one advantage to being left-handed.

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