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One Handed Lacing
As an alternative to the One Handed Shoelace Knot, this way of lacing eliminates the need to even tie a knot by leaving one end loose. The friction of the eyelets is sufficient to keep the lacing fairly tight.
Knot sits behind top right eyelet
One Handed Lacing diagram
One Handed Lacing picture
Here, the lace is tied to the top eyelet rather than having a knot that sits underneath, which can feel uncomfortable.
Lacing Technique:
1. Take a lace that's slightly shorter than usual and begin by tying a knot in one end.

2. Feed the un-knotted end of the lace from inside the top right eyelet and pull it through until stopped with the knot snug against the eyelet.

3. Zig-zag the lace through the eyelets down to the bottom of the shoe similar to Shoe Shop Lacing.

4. The loose (blue) end can simply be tucked into the lacing to keep it from being stepped on.

FEATURES:
Disabled use
Surprisingly easy
Loose fit


Using This Lacing:
The idea is that shoes have the most tension at the top of the lacing and very little at the bottom. With the knot holding the bulk of the tension at the top end, the friction of the lace passing through every eyelet is sufficient to stop the bottom end from slipping out even though it is "loose". (This works best with either small eyelets or fat laces).

To tighten, start at the top of the lacing and work towards the bottom. To loosen, work from the bottom of the lacing back towards the top.
Variations:
1. The left and right shoes can be laced in reverse (mirror image) so as to end up with a symmetrical look.

2. If having the knot inside the shoe is uncomfortable, position it on the outside by feeding the knotted lace into the top right eyelet. Alternately, you can feed the lace through the eyelet and then tie the lace back onto itself. In other words, knot the lace onto the eyelet (as shown in the above photo).

3. For a tighter, more secure fit, substitute either thicker laces or cotton laces with a rougher surface.

4. The loose end may also be passed a second time through the bottom right eyelet (or any convenient eyelet). Because this eyelet ends up with two passes of lace, it will be quite a tight fit, which will stay pretty secure.

5. For maximum security, pass the loose end back out through the top left eyelet, then tie it off with a simple loop knot as shown in the One Handed Shoelace Knot.

Scouts' Lacing diagram 6. This diagram, taken from a 1929 book "Scouting for Boys" and sent to me by Alex, shows a very similar method: "Shoe Laced in the Scout's Way". While it's not meant specifically for one hand, it can be used exactly the same way, and could be considered a One Handed Lacing variation. The main difference is that it starts at the bottom, then runs diagonally to the top before continuing as above.

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This page last updated: 27-Jun-2008. Copyright © 2005-2008 by Ian W. Fieggen. All rights reserved.
Related Links
Shoe Shop Lacing diagram
Shoe Shop Lacing
(closely related)
One Handed Knot diagram
One Handed Knot
(more secure knot)
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