Tying shoelaces

[pne]

Apparently, I've been tying my shoes the wrong way all my life—turning them into a granny knot, which is more prone to slip. (And indeed, I had grown used to typine the loops into a double knot to prevent that.)

conuly pointed me, indirectly, to http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/slipping.htm, which convinced me (FWIW, I fall under the "Standard Shoelace Knot, Start: Left end over Right end & through, Finish: Right loop, Left end around Front" category).

So perhaps I shall either tie my starting knot the other way around (as Ian recommends), or learn a completely different knot, such as the "Ian Knot".

The entire site is fascinating: information on tying your shoelaces (with lots of different knots), lacing your shoes or boots (with even more ways to do so), and general information on shoelaces.

Geek heaven, especially in the "deep interest in a narrow field of endeavour" sense of the word "geek".

Comments

[nyssa.livejournal.com]

I know this is pretty silly of me, but I NEVER learnt to tie my shoes properly! :O Instead of doing whatever the normal way is (something about making a loop and wrapping the loop with the other lace?), I make two loops and tie those loops in a knot, which works just as well.

[pne.livejournal.com]

Define "properly" - what you call the "normal way" (and Ian Fieggen calls the Standard Shoelace Knot (http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/standardknot.htm)) might be the most common, but it's not the only way to tie your shoelaces by far, nor even the only valid way, whatever that means.

Your method is presumably the Two Loop Shoelace Knot (http://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/twoloopknot.htm), aka "bunny ears" method, which is fine, too, and if done properly, ends up in exactly the same knot.

(And if done improperly, ends up in exactly the same less-secure, more-prone-to-slipping granny knot as a Standard Shoelace Knot done improperly, such as the one I've tied all my life.)

[nyssa.livejournal.com]

Yeah, those are the ones I was referring to - everybody I know uses the "Standard" one, whereas I use the second one. I've always been told I was wrong, but when I was little I never managed to learn the first one, and ever since I've never bothered. It works for me. :)

[pne.livejournal.com]

I thought for most of my life that there was only one way to tie shoelaces and that everyone did it the same way (though I remember being surprised at seeing three people tie their shoes three different ways once - but it might still have been the same knot: when I asked Stella yesterday how she tied her shoes, her hands moved differently and the result looked different but it was basically the same knot as mine!).

So don't worry about it! You're not wrong, just different. And since it works for you, why change.

[nyssa.livejournal.com]

Good to know. :) I never wear tie-up shoes anyway, so I guess it's a bit of a moot point anyhow!

I might play around with the "world's fastest knot", just for the fun of it, though...

[camomiletea.livejournal.com]

Hehe; I've seen that site before and for a while I tried "Ian Knot". But I guess I'm too used to the old ways.

[connie]

I've never known how to tie my shoes any other way except the one shown in your icon. I used to impress my friends in middle school and high school with the rapidity of my shoe-typing. :-)