Runner's Tie (Locking down your shoelaces)

A snug running shoe shouldn't mean "tight" - but comfortably hugging your foot for proper support. The problem I always encounter is when I tighten my laces to maintain that snug fit, the top of my foot eventually starts to hurt because I've practically cut off the circulation! If I try to tie the laces a bit more loose, I can still maintain a snug, comfortable fit, but the laces tend to loosen up during the run - they'll either become too loose or untied. The only time I want to be stopped during a walk or run is when I'm at a stop light or avoiding a car... . ..or stumbled upon a growling dog without a leash, standing there at the edge of the property line giving me "the stare." I digress...

I prefer the comfortable fit so I make sure my laces are locked down. Here's a tip I learned from a competitive stair climber (you'd better believe they don't want to be stopping in mid-stair climb to be tying their shoes!) ...

The Runner's Tie, also known as Lace Locks, starts with footwear that's laced up the traditional way - but take a close look at that very last eyelet, offset and below the second to last eyelet:

I know, Saucony! Like I mentioned before, I've tried them all... just using an example, okay?

Take the end of the lace and loop it right into that eyelet to form a loop:

Next, take the opposite lace and repeat this step for the left side eyelet. Once you've done so, take the ends of the laces and cross over each end into the loop hole on the other side:

Snug up the laces to close up the loop ends:

Here's another look...

The laces will need to be a bit loosened up when you slide your foot in, but this is how it'll look once the shoe is on, then simply tie as normal after evenly pulling the ends of the laces to get a fit that's comfortable - no matter how loose you make the lacing, once you tie a regular shoelace knot, it's pretty much locked in and won't loosen up during your walking/running/stair climbing activities. That's it! Very effective and repeatable (comfort).

Just a footnote: Strangely enough, some shoelaces on athletic footwear that feature this extra eyelet are sometimes just too short to do this. Or, sometimes one needs the extra lacing to create a larger "box" space in the shoe to accommodate their foot. The answer is, of course, to buy longer laces. Bleh... sorry, but not everything has an instant solution. If shopping for longer laces, don't forget to count your eyelets on your shoes - that way you can find the reference length easier to use on the back of those shoelace packages.