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 20 × 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 more than 260 pages – which can be daunting to wade through! Search the whole of Ian's Shoelace Site using Google Custom Search.

Latest Photo

28-Jul-2021

Shoe lacing photo high-res repost (originally posted in low-res on 16-Aug-2007).

White Etnies sneakers with black trim laced with black & white combination of Half & Half Lacing and Lattice Lacing (from Chris D.)

Chris cut and stitched together two shoelaces for this great looking bi-color variation.

More Shoe Lacing Photos

Latest Video

08-Oct-2020 – Ian's Laces app for Android

This is my first video for some time, showing my Android app that I've been working on for the past few months – Ian's Laces. If you're a perfectionist like me, an app like this is a lot of work, but the end result is something I'm quite proud of!

Watch video: Ian's Laces app for Android

Watch video here

Watch on YouTube

Latest Interview

17-Jun-2021

I recently recorded an extended interview (about an hour!) with Nick Johannessen for his “Garmology” podcast. Nick and I discussed all things shoelace, covering knots and lacing, their fashionable and functional aspects – you name it!

Here's a link to the podcast on Nick's “Well Dressed Dad” website:

https://welldresseddad.com/2021/06/17/shoe-lace-knot/

What's New?

Added “Moccasin Shoelace Knot”

28-Jul-2021 – Added instructions for the Moccasin Shoelace Knot, a decorative bow with a simple overhand knot around the middle, commonly used on moccasins and slippers.

Updated “Shoelaces As Seen In The News”

23-Jul-2021 – Untied shoelaces frequently cause injuries – but sometimes they prevent them – as happened in this news story in which a quick re-tie may have saved a woman's life.

Updated “Interviews & Articles”

14-Jul-2021 – Added a 2008 interview for Runner's World, USA, which resulted in a five-page article mainly about tying running shoes securely.

Updated “Interviews & Articles”

05-Jul-2021 – Added a short 2008 interview for Rack Magazine, China, which focussed mainly on different lacing methods.

Updated “Shoelaces As Seen In The News”

21-Jun-2021 – Added two news stories, one about a schoolgirl's punishment after her mum replaced her shoelaces, the other about a mum's punishment while re-tying her son's shoelaces.

Recent Visitor Feedback

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

I just discovered your website which I find super useful and unique. Your knowledge base is huge and your teaching methods are wonderful. You make excellent easy-to-follow drawings and descriptions that allow me to understand how to tie a shoelace knot in 2 minutes instead of sitting through a 10-20 video for the same result. I hope your related sales are doing very well and are rewarding your hard work.

– Murray M., Canada, Jul-2021

I am loving the info on your page. Thanks so much for putting it all together. I am now wearing sneakers due to a foot injury so your lacing ideas and information has given me a whole new appreciation of shoelaces.

– Jayne S., Adelaide, SA, Australia, Jul-2021

I was looking for some new lacing patterns for my sneakers, and I'm glad I found your website. I didn't realize there were so many different ways to learn; now I'm hooked, and so far have done three pairs of shoes.

– Vince B., Indiana, USA, May-2021

I just came across your site and I absolutely love it, the layout, the vibe I’m getting from this site is literally amazing

– Oyinkansola O., May-2021

This site is the best I've ever come across for shoelace shenanigans. Thank you so much for all your effort to make the bland day-to-day shoelace utilization become a small way to show some serious style!

– Jonathan B., USA, Apr-2021

I also like very much the spirit of “the old web” - your own website on perhaps a bit obscure but valuable information. Very well done, and a big thank you from the other side of the world.

– Jani P., Helsinki, Finland, Apr-2021