Did you know there is more than 1 way to tie up your shoe laces? You don’t have to leave your shoes laced up the way they are when you first take them out of the box. Each different way can help you to get the best fit and feel out of your shoe, without having to worry about that pesky slipping feeling. You should not have to put up with shoes that don’t feel just right. By changing the lacing, you can make your runner fit like it was made just for you, accomodating the individual characteristics of your
feet!!
When you put on your sneakers to go for a walk or a run there are so many factors that make that shoe feel secure and conformable for you. Each shoe is different and so is each pair of feet and although laces might sound like a small detail they can have a huge difference. That is why getting your lacing technique right can help get rid of those nagging feelings so that you can just enjoy exercising.
Are your shoes slipping when you run? Are your kids shoes falling off when they go to kick the ball? Or do your shoes feel too tight in one specific spot? Well we’ve got the solution for you
Forefoot Offloading
Do you have a big bunion bump? Pain where your toes bend? A foot type that is just a bit wider near the toes? Toes that start to go numb on your longer runs? This is the lacing hack for you.
What to do
1- Unlace the shoes all the way, taking the shoelace out completely. 2- Re-lace your shoes however this time instead of starting at the very first holes skip that one and start at the second set. 3- Then just re-lace them back and tie them off all as normal.
Now you have taken the pressure away from the forefoot giving you that extra room and comfort.
Mid-foot offloading / volume lacing
Do you have a high arch that pushes your foot on the top of the shoe? Do you have an injury in the middle of your foot which causes you pain when you put on shoes? Are you training for longer distance runs and find you get irritation on the top of your foot from the laces? Well this technique is the one for you.
What to do
1- A good place to start is to take note of any specific spot on your own foot that feels too tight or uncomfortable while the shoe is on and where the pressure needs to be moved from . Keep a mental note of this. 2- Once you know your uncomfortable spot, unlace the shoe (not all the way) leaving the first 1 or 2 holes in place. Then when you reach that spot of discomfort instead of crossing the laces over follow them up along the sides of the shoe- you can go up 1 or 2 holes, just leave as much room as you need 3- Once you are happy with the amount of space you have made, cross the laces over and keep going just as normal.
Now you have made room for additional volume and have removed those pressure points without having to tie your shoe too loose that it is now slipping.
Lock lacing
Is your heel slipping up and down every time you walk or run? Are you getting blisters or sore spots at the back to your heel? Does your foot feel its sliding around in the shoe when you are playing sport? Or have you noticed your kids shoe just keeps falling off when they go to kick a ball? We have got the tip for you
Firstly make sure your shoe is not too big. If the shoe is too big just fixing the laces may not be enough to fix that slopping feeling. The way to check if you wiggle your big toe and measure where that spot is with your thumb. The guideline we give is you want no bigger than a full thumb width at the end of the shoe.
But you checked its the right size don’t worry, sometimes the shape of the back of your heel and the back of the shoe don’t exactly match up, or maybe there are orthotics in the shoe which cause you to sit up a little bit higher.
What to do
1- Take the shoe laces how they regularly are and go up to the top eye hole (that no one ever uses) and on the same side go from outside to inside making 2 loops. 2- Then crossing the laces over, thread them through these loops from top to bottom 3- Pull these laces down and back towards your heel 4- Finish off by tying them up how you normally would
Now you have locked the heel in place and got a much more secure feeling without having to tie your laces so tight that your foot starts to tingle.
Laces going undone?
This has to be one of the most frustrating things for a parent or sportsperson. But did you know there is a fool-proof way to stop this happening for good? Head over to our blog at https://www.balwynpodiatry.com.au/post/how-to-tie-shoelaces to read all about it!
So have a play around with your shoes and see what works the best for you. Maybe you need to try 2 of these techniques together? There is no harm in giving trying. These lacing techniques can feel hard to start with, but once you get the hang of it its as easy as tying your shoe laces. There are heaps of videos on our social pages if you are a visual learner.