designer of the Monza brand and founder of Mono-Stil
“If the bow on our sneakers comes undone at the most important moment, we feel annoyed. We have to stop and put our shoes in order. It’s especially annoying if we’re in a hurry. And also the dangling ends of the laces sometimes spoil the whole look. How do I fix it?”
Lace-up shoes are worn by both adults and young people. Of course, the latter often prefer Velcro, rubber laces, etc. But still, mostly we lace up our shoes. And at some point we inevitably think about how to optimize this process. In order to lace, and to put on shoes faster, and to create a more presentable look.
Why do laces dangle? As a rule, the problem lies in their excessive length. When the ends of the laces are dragging on the ground, it is extremely uncomfortable. But more often we are embarrassed not by the prospect of stepping on them, but by the way the bow itself looks. We want to get rid of it so that the shoes look more stylish.
Is this desire is always justified? Not at all. Lacing is not just a design element. It is designed to fix the shoe on the foot. If we are talking about sports, then aesthetics should definitely take a back seat. During training, the foot must be securely fixed.
As a rule, flat laces are used in sports shoes. In other variants – round. At the same time, the material is usually the same everywhere. It is cotton. True, in high-quality and branded models it is one hundred percent, and in cheap ones it is mixed with synthetics. Some manufacturers also offer laces made of pure polyester. This option is not suitable for sports shoes. The laces will constantly come undone. This moment should be taken into account.
How to hide the laces?
1. Under the foot
The most popular method – laces hidden inside the sneakers under the foot. Their “remnants” are covered by the sides of the shoes. This method is recommended to use only in extreme cases. Why? The foot is fixed with it is not tight enough. There is a risk of injury when losing balance. It is not suitable for owners of the model “snickers”. In this case, the comfort of movement is greatly reduced. This method should be resorted to when it is necessary to quickly put on shoes and overcome a small distance.
2. Under the tongue
A more reliable method is to lace up your shoes as usual, and hide the bow under the tongue. However, in this case, the knot will press on the top of the foot during movement. Therefore, if you have thick and long laces, this option should be abandoned. It is usually resorted to by fans of sport casual style and owners of leather sneakers.
3. Double lacing
If your laces are too long, you can use the double lacing method. In some holes in the center, pass each half of the laces several times.
4. Cross lacing with a hidden bow
You just need to lace up the shoe from bottom to top. The ends should end up on the inside of the pair. Now you need to make a double knot so that it is at the level of the toe, and loop one end around the other. It is not necessary to tighten it too tight. Hide the ends as deeply as possible in the sneakers, so that they appear in the area of the toes of the boots. This option is not suitable for long walks.
5. Under the insole
Today this method is considered the most popular. The fact is that the video with this method is virused in social networks. Young people use it very often. And this is not by chance. It is really convenient.
What do you need to do? Just hide the laces under the insoles. However, if they are too thick or long, it will cause discomfort when walking.
What other options are there?
There are special laces without bows (silicone, “lazy” or anti-shoelaces), which are attached to the shoe in two places. Pros – they are easy to take off and put on and no untie. Minuses – such things quickly fall into disrepair, as they stretch and cease to fit tightly to the foot.
A more reliable option – elastic laces, which, although they stretch, but return to the original length. Thanks to this, they do not need to be tied or tucked in all the time. The composition is dominated not by cotton, but by synthetic fibers. They can be both round and flat, colored or discreet. After determining the desired length, the ends can be trimmed or scorched.
Also, instead of knots, you can use special locks, plugs or clips, which are attached both on the outside and inside of the shoe. Options come in different types, sizes and colors.
It is worth mentioning such a method as shortening the length of the laces. With the help of scissors and glue. This will allow you to adjust them to the desired length. With scissors we just cut off the unnecessary length, and glue the ends, if they are “frizzy”.