Loop Back Lacing
Each side loops back on itself down the middle, rather like when two springs become intertwined. However, those loop-backs tend to shift off-centre.
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Lacing Technique
• Begin straight across on the inside (grey section) and out through the bottom eyelets.
• At each eyelet pair, the ends are given a half twist in the middle of the shoe before looping back and returning to the outside.
• The ends are fed under the sides and out through the next higher set of eyelets.
• Repeat until lacing is completed.
Features
Decorative look
Laces wear more
Centreline shifts
4% shorter ends (approx.)
Notes
• Loop Back lacing looks best on shoes with thick, round shoelaces, especially light colored laces on dark colored shoes. These accentuate the fact that the laces loop back on themselves rather than simply crossing over each other.
• When combined with Half & Half Lacing, the result is a different color on each side of the shoe. Note that the division doesn't have to run neatly down the middle of the shoe. It can instead be run at an angle, as demonstrated in the 6th photo below.
Loop Back Lacing Gallery

Grey Alifes with Loop Back Lacing.
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More photos of Loop Back Lacing
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Shoelace Lengths for Loop Back Lacing
Pairs of eyelets: | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
Length needed: | 71 cm 28 inch |
82 cm 32 inch |
93 cm 37 inch |
104 cm 41 inch |
115 cm 45 inch |
126 cm 50 inch |
137 cm 54 inch |
Lengths available: | 27" | 36" | 36" | 40" | 45" | 54" | 54" |
NOTE: These are approximate shoelace lengths for using this lacing on an average sized sneaker. For more accurate lengths, use the Shoelace Length Calculator.
Comparative Length
Longer shoelaces needed than those for basic Criss Cross Lacing.
Shorter ends if existing shoelaces are re-used (−4% on average).
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