Welcome to Ian's Shoelace Site

Fun, fashion & science in the Internet's #1 website about shoelaces – and home of the Ian Knot, the world's fastest shoelace knot. If you want to lace shoes, tie shoes or learn about shoelaces, “Ian's Shoelace Site” is the place!

Lacing Shoes

The most extensive section of this website, including over 100 × step-by-step shoe lacing tutorials, 2,000 × shoe lacing photos, plus the interactive “Create-a-Lace” for designing your own lacing.

Tying Shoes

Contains 21 × shoelace knots, including my world's fastest “Ian Knot”, plus important info on preventing the “Granny Knot”, which causes shoelaces to sit crooked and come undone.

Learn About Shoelaces

Heaps of knowledge about shoelaces, including their construction, length calculations – even what the tips are called, as well as Ian's interviews, articles, reviews, Q&As and more.

About

Information about this website and the site's author, Ian Fieggen – including Ian's contact details. Also info on this site's sponsors plus various ways that you, too, can support Ian.

Connect With Professor Shoelace

Contact Ian Fieggen via e-mail or connect with “Professor Shoelace” via YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Gfycat or RSS feed.

Search This Site

Looking for something? This website has almost 300 pages – which can be daunting to wade through! Search the whole of Ian's Shoelace Site using Google Custom Search.

Latest Photo

18-Oct-2021

Shoe lacing photo high-res repost (originally posted in low-res on 17-Aug-2008).

Multi-colored Converse Double Uppers laced with pink & white combination of Double Back Lacing and Straight Bar Lacing (from Kevin M.)

Double Back Lacing was used to shorten the inner shoelaces.

More Shoe Lacing Photos

Latest Video

27-Aug-2021 – Untying shoes without jamming

This is my first video for some time, showing why shoelace knots sometimes jam when untying, plus giving some tips for preventing such jams.

Watch video: Untying shoes without jamming

Watch video here

Watch on YouTube

What's New?

Updated “Better Bow Shoelace Knot”

13-Oct-2021 – Updated all diagrams and photos for the Better Bow Shoelace Knot to larger, clearer images, plus added feedback from various visitors.

Updated “Turquoise Turtle Shoelace Knot”

13-Oct-2021 – Updated all diagrams and photos for the Turquoise Turtle Shoelace Knot to larger, clearer images, plus added feedback from various visitors.

Updated “Ian's Secure Knot Tech Info”

12-Oct-2021 – For those who find that my “Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot” comes out wonky I've added a couple of tips for tying this knot neatly.

Welcomed new site sponsor “Cute Laces”

01-Oct-2021 – Cute Laces is a female owned brand based in California, USA, handcrafting fabric shoelaces with printed designs. Please give them a look!

Updated “Surgeon's Shoelace Knot”

30-Sep-2021 – Updated all diagrams and photos for the Surgeon's Shoelace Knot to larger, clearer images.

Recent Visitor Feedback

I originally came across your shoelace website when I was around 14, and quickly became known in my friend circles for my colourful, interestingly laced shoe laces, which I would often colour-coordinate with my outfit. I was wearing my 14-eye “1914” black docs those years, so I had a lot of room to work with!

I recently mentioned your site off-the-cuff to a friend, and was surprised to find someone else out in the wild who'd heard of it! So here I am, back again, a decade and half later to up my lacing game!

Rediscovering your website has been a really wholesome experience 😊

– Friday, Sep-2021

thanks so much- your website helped VERY much with straight lacing for dress shoes. . . . . . . and also when I did physical work. . . . my boots came untied constantly. I was doing Granny Knots. Fixed it then did the stronger double loop versions. perfect

– Matthew Z., Sep-2021

hey ian i think your website is super cool and way helpful. the navigation is really easy and i’m glad i found your website

– Maria F., Aug-2021

I’d like to thank you for creating and maintaining your shoelace website. I have referenced (and recommended) it countless times over the years and love experimenting with all the different lacing methods.

– Courtney B., Jul-2021

THANK YOU! Your Shoelace Site is amazing! Indispensable when reusing my short shoelaces on higher shoes, & now again as my German boyfriend gave me a pair of Lederhosen with laces that were too long! I love the clear explanations!

– Michelle G., Jul-2021