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Hiking / Biking Lacing
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An inside-out version of
Straight Bar Lacing, which distributes pressure evenly plus keeps the knots & ends to the side. For hiking /
bushwalking, position the knots on the inside, away from snagging undergrowth. For biking / cycling, position them
on the outside, away from chains & cranks.
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Diagram for 8 pairs of eyelets
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Lacing Technique:
• Begin straight across on the inside (grey section) and out through the bottom eyelets.
• The left (blue) end runs straight up on the outside, then straight across on the inside.
• Both ends run straight up on the outside, each skipping one eyelet and feeding in two eyelets higher up.
• Both ends continue straight across on the inside and out through the adjacent eyelets.
• Alternate running up on the outside and across on the inside until the ends emerge through the top and
second-from-top eyelets on the same side.
Features:
Evens out pressure
Reduces snagging
Messy look
28% longer ends (on average)
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Notes:
Hiking / Biking Lacing only works correctly on shoes with
even numbers of eyelet pairs (eg. 8 pairs = 16 eyelets). This is because the lace must cross the
shoe an even number of times so that the ends will meet and can be tied together. On shoes with an
odd number of eyelet pairs (eg. 7 pairs = 14 eyelets), the lace ends finish diagonally opposite
each other at the top of the shoe.
See below for some workarounds for shoes with odd numbers of eyelet pairs.
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Using This Lacing for Hiking / Bushwalking:
Lace one shoe as above and the other shoe in reverse, with both knots positioned towards the
inside (between the ankles). This places the loops and loose ends further away from the outer sides of the
shoes, making them less likely to become snagged in undergrowth whilst hiking / bushwalking.
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Using This Lacing for Biking / Cycling:
Lace one shoe as above and the other shoe in reverse, with both knots positioned towards the
outside. This places the loops and loose ends further away from the bicycle chain, cranks and other moving
parts.
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Hiking / Biking Lacing Gallery
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Grey Nike Norths with Hiking / Biking Lacing
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Hover over any photo to view details
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Shoelace Lengths for Hiking / Biking Lacing
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Pairs of eyelets: |
2 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
6 |
7 |
8 |
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Length needed: |
63 cm
25 inch |
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80 cm
31 inch |
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96 cm
38 inch |
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112 cm
44 inch |
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Lengths available: |
27" |
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27" |
36"
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36" |
40"
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45" |
Comparative Length:
Longer ends if existing shoelaces are re-used (+28% on average).
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Odd Workarounds
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As mentioned above, Hiking / Biking Lacing only works correctly on shoes with
even numbers of eyelet pairs. Here's several common workarounds for shoes with
odd numbers of eyelet pairs, using sample diagrams with seven pairs of eyelets.
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Skip One Eyelet Pair
A basic solution is to simply not use either the top or the bottom pair of eyelets. Using only an even number of
eyelet pairs avoids the odd limitation.
It's also possible to skip a pair of eyelets somewhere in the middle, which breaks the lacing into two sections.
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One Diagonal
Use a single diagonal crossover somewhere in the lacing. At the top, it's less noticeable due to the bows &
shoelace ends. Near the middle of the lacing, a diagonal may be positioned to line up with and run through a
tongue centering loop (if the shoe has one).
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One Crossover
Instead of trying to hide a single diagonal, this alternative makes a feature out of a single crossover. This
crossover can be placed at either the top or bottom of the lacing, but unlike the above "One Diagonal" variation,
it cannot be placed in the middle of the lacing.
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Cut and Tie Off
Similar to the single diagonal shown above, the shoelace can be cut (where the diagonal would have been) and the
ends tied off on opposite sides of the shoe. In this diagram, the knotted ends are at the bottom left eyelet and
the second from bottom right eyelet.
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Double Overlap
This unusual solution works by doubling up the laces through the second from bottom pair of eyelets. Because it's
near the bottom of the shoe, any difficulty with tightening this section is not so noticeable as the shoe doesn't
need to open wide at that point.
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Across and Back
The second from bottom straight section runs across left-to-right (underneath), then right-to-left (on top),
passing under itself on the left side. The underlying section is fairly well hidden by the straight section on top.
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Variations:
For a neater (though slightly less comfortable) variation, the lacing can be done inside-out, with only the top two
horizontal sections fed under the sides of the shoes to emerge through the top and 2nd from top eyelets (where the
knots will be tied). This is effectively a side-knotted version of
Straight Bar Lacing.
The result is much neater, particularly when the sneakers have contrasting shoelaces, which would otherwise look
messy with the vertical sections visible on the outside. However, it no longer has the benefit of even pressure
distribution because the straight horizontal sections are now on the outside.
This picture, sent to me by Stephen P., shows some shoes laced this way, with the knots and loose ends positioned
towards the outside for cycling.
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_2012_by_Ian_Fieggen.gif "Lacing diagram")
