3 Clever Lacing Hacks to Make Shoes More Comfortable

Oct 11 , 2021

Jhuti

Tags - How to Lace Shoes

Chances are, when you take a fresh pair of shoes out of the box you don’t give much thought to how the laces have been placed.

And that’s perfectly fair, I too would be admiring their bright, perfectly un-dirtied hue and most of the time, regularly laced shoes fit just fine.

However, for some people regularly laced shoes don’t stay on the feet where they should. But a creative lacing strategy can make them feel way more comfortable.

One reason being, small adjustments of laces can reduce the chances of black toenails, relieve pressure points and hot spots for other foot irritations.

In particular, runners are no strangers to these foot woes and changing the way shoes are laced can offer much needed relief.

Does the Shoe Fit?

Before we go into our shoe lacing hacks, it’s important you know how your shoe should actually fit.

Firstly, you’ll want to check that the widest part of your foot matches up with the widest part of the shoe you’re wearing. Once your foot is in the shoe, lace it up so it feels snug.

Then, point your index and middle finger together and place them along the tongue of your shoe with your fingers facing down; the eyelets should be touching your fingers on each side.

Now, if your shoe is comfortably laced but you can only fit one finger in between the rows of eyelets it generally means your shoe is too big. However if you have 3 or more fingers of width it means the shoe is probably too tight.

Consequently, shoes that are too big or too small can lead to endless issues depending on your foot, so always make sure they are properly fitted to avoid these from occurring.

Now that you know how your shoes should fit on your feet, here are 3 lacing hacks to make shoes more comfortable for different foot issues.

1. Heel Slipping and Blisters

One of the most common shoe lacing hacks around is the heel lock.

The heel locks help prevent the heel from slipping, which can often lead to painful blisters.

Simply, this method tightens the circumference of the shoe around the heel.

On the other hand, this can sometimes place too much pressure on the tendons on the top of your foot and restrict ankle mobility.

So whilst it works well to stop your heel from slipping, it should not be used in the long term or when running or walking long distances.

To try this, you want to locate the extra eyelets on your shoes - the ones closest to your heels - and weave the end of your shoelace through this till about half way so you’ve got a loop; repeat on each side.

Then, cross the ends of your laces, weaving each side through the loop on the opposite side, and pull the ends to secure and tie the laces as you normally would.

2. High Instep

With a high instep, this means the top of your foot is raised a bit higher in the middle and towards the ankle. This is quite common in people who have higher arches.

Usually, if you have a high instep you may experience pressure on the tops of your feet while wearing shoes.

And so, this lacing hack will help to add volume in the midfoot, therefore reducing pressure.

To begin, unlace your shoes from the top 3 to 4 eyelets; so your shoe is only laced through the bottom.

Then, weave the end of your right shoelace through the eyelet directly above it and do the same on the other foot. Once you’ve done this, lace up the rest of the shoe as normal.

3. Wide Feet or Bunions

If you have wide feet or bunions, this next hack is particularly useful for relieving tightness as it makes the front of the shoe a little wider.

First, start off by unlacing the shoe all the way to the bottom until the lace is only in the bottom eyelet.

Next, weave the end of your right shoelace through the eyelet directly above it and do the same on the left side. Repeat this process until you’ve done it twice and then lace your shoes normally from here.

Closing Thoughts

These lacing hacks are handy for temporary problems, such as a black toenail that came on after a long weekend of wearing high heels, as you can adjust the lacing until you’re healed.

Of course, not all lacing hacks will solve every foot problem, for instance shin splints or heel pain, but in these cases above it will help.

Above all, you need to ensure there is an even distribution of pressure across the shoe lacing to avoid creating additional sore spots.

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In the meantime, check out our full range of comfortable shoes here.