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View Full Version : Novel way of tying shoes helps prevent blisters...



Bronk
05-12-2015, 16:54
http://www.sunnyskyz.com/inspirational-videos.php?vidid=2365%2FTHIS-Is-What-That-Extra-Shoelace-Hole-Is-For-

BirdBrain
05-12-2015, 17:02
Fantastic. It appears that I have been using those holes wrong. Going to check that out on my shoes when I get home. Thank you for that tip.

ChrisJackson
05-12-2015, 17:11
Aha! Thanks!

bemental
05-12-2015, 17:36
:gawk:



Totally trying this on my next walk about.

Nodust
05-12-2015, 19:11
Do shoes come with these instructions?

Hard to believe after 41 years of wearing shoes I have just learned this.

lkmi
05-12-2015, 20:14
I use a similar thing for hiking boots https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfHvThw2oE4
That and a strip of Leukotape on my right heel has kept me comfortable and blister-free...

Lyle
05-12-2015, 20:44
I was shown this by a shoe sales woman at an outdoor store about six years ago. I've used it, but it makes loosening laces to remove the shoes, then tightening them again when putting them back on a pain in the butt. I generally just use the old method, and tie a double knot. Works better for me.

Emerson Bigills
05-12-2015, 20:48
Great tip. Will try it next time out.

Wyoming
05-14-2015, 13:58
I was shown this by a shoe sales woman at an outdoor store about six years ago. I've used it, but it makes loosening laces to remove the shoes, then tightening them again when putting them back on a pain in the butt. I generally just use the old method, and tie a double knot. Works better for me.

I does make tying the shoe more of a pain, but in my experience you cannot reliably get the the shoes tied to the right tension using the double knot system (the double knot I think is just to keep the laces from coming untied and does not make the cynch tighter). I have actually drilled an extra hole in shoes which did not have the second eyelet in order to be able to get the perfect cynch as shown in the video.

An alternate for tying when one does not have the double top holes is to lace the shoes with the laces going into the eyelets from the outside in vice the standard inside out lacing pattern (for shoes that have eyelets still). That helps some as it makes a tighter lacing less likely to loosen. Or even to do a double pass through of one level of eyelets.

For a shoe with the modern flat lace pass through arrangements one just inserts the lace from the top (ankle end) vice the bottom (toe end) and then when you lace there is a very tight cross over in the lace right next to the eyelet. If one does this on the top two levels of eyelets and tightens each level individually then it is possible to get a very tight hold and hold the heel tight in the shoe.

Getting this right prevents almost all blisters in my experience. If the foot does not slide around in the shoe it is very hard to get blisters.

I have also seen people using only top laces and leaving the bottom holes empty, or using two laces on each shoe (one lace for the toe and arch - tied snug, 1 lace for the cynch at the top to hold the heel still - tied tight)

meat803
08-24-2015, 16:50
Careful with super tight shoes tied way up high. I developed extensor tendonitis on my thru hike due to this. It almost ended my hike until I figured out the cause and solution. Once I did, I discovered what worked best for myself was to have a loose fitting shoe that I only tied 1 time when I first put them on. After that, I just slipped them on and off like slippers. I did this starting in NC all the way to Katahdin.

Mr. Bumpy
08-24-2015, 17:00
I used to get blisters and just assumed it was part of the experience. I tried different lacing, tape, different socks, etc... A couple of years ago I needed to replace my boots and what had been my old favorite was out of stock. I indulged the shoe salesperson and ended up spending an hour with him talking about fit, hiking style, and a bunch of other things that I don't remember. The result was that I switched the model that I had been using for years and have ended up with different boots and now don't get blisters. All the lacing and taping in the world can't make up for a basic error in fit.

Just Bill
08-24-2015, 17:26
https://www.google.com/search?q=lacing+techniques+for+running&rlz=1C1GGGE___US635US635&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=799&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0CDMQsARqFQoTCNSa9PvTwscCFYZNkgodfa0H9w

The search is lacing techniques for running, then click on the images.

Lotta very good tricks that can fine tune that near perfect shoe.
As said though, you need a near perfect shoe first. And good socks.

BirdBrain
08-24-2015, 17:31
Fantastic. It appears that I have been using those holes wrong. Going to check that out on my shoes when I get home. Thank you for that tip.

Since this has been revived, I will chime in again too. I tried the suggested lacing tip. It did not work for me. It created too much pressure on the top front section of my ankles. Oh well. I am certain I will try the next tip too though.

rhjanes
08-24-2015, 18:08
I tied my Merrills this way for a year. Not sure it helped any with blisters. went back to sock liners and if I'm hiking more than say 9 miles, I then Lukotape my heels. What I did find using this locking-laces method was that I wore the shoe laces a LOT. at the point where they go thru that extra loop. That said, usually I wear out my soles due to my gate. With this method, I wore out the laces at the same time the soles died.

Just Bill
08-24-2015, 18:24
Since this has been revived, I will chime in again too. I tried the suggested lacing tip. It did not work for me. It created too much pressure on the top front section of my ankles. Oh well. I am certain I will try the next tip too though.

For yerself and any others- you can move it down one set of eyelets too if you get the tendon pressure.
Depends on the shoe/tongue padding. It doesn't have to be very tight to get the effect though unless the shoe is a very bad fit in the heel.