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Hidden shoelaces are an interesting fashion statement you can try with any type of shoe.[1] Hiding your laces can make your look more sleek and clean. It can also help if you don't like the lace color of the shoes you've bought and want to make them less visible. By lacing the shoes with straight "bars" instead of crosses, you can reduce the amount of lace that can be seen on the top of the shoe. Or, if you don't mind standard criss-crossed lacing but don't like a big floppy bow, you can knot your laces inside the toe of your shoe instead.

Hiding Your Shoelaces

Remove the shoelaces and then re-lace your shoes, inserting the laces through the eyelets from the outside to the inside (not the other way around). Continue lacing the shoe all the way up, and tie your shoelaces like you normally would. Finally, tuck the knot you've tied underneath the tongue of your shoe to hide it.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

Doing Hidden Knot Lacing

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  1. How.com.vn English: Step 1 Put the ends of the laces into the holes closest to your toe.
    Remove the laces from your shoe. Put both ends of the lace in the bottom holes going from the outside to the inside. This should create a bar across the bottom two holes on the outside of the shoe. Pull the ends of the lace up to tighten it. Make sure the lace is centered and that both ends are the same length.[2]
  2. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Hide Shoelaces
    Bring the left shoelace up through the second hole from the bottom. This should be the hole just above the hole it went into. Then bring the lace across and push it down through the hole straight across from it. This should make a bar across the front of the shoe on the outside. [3]
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  3. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Hide Shoelaces
    Bring the right shoelace up through the third hole from the bottom. This should be the hole just above the hole the left lace went into. You will then thread the right lace down through the hole immediately across from it, the same as you did with the left end. This should make the second bar.
  4. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Hide Shoelaces
    Continue to thread the laces according to this pattern: bring the left lace up through the hole just above the previous hole you worked with, and down into the hole straight across. Then bring the right lace up out of the hole just above the hole the left lace went into, and bring the right lace down into the hole straight across. [4]
    • On the underside, your laces should run alongside the tongue of the shoe without crossing it.[5]
  5. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Hide Shoelaces
    Make a bow as you normally would, but hide it under the tongue of the shoe. Cross the left lace over the right lace, and bring it down to twist the laces. Now make a loop with the right lace, and wrap the left lace around the back of the loop, bring it forward, and push it through the hole under the loop. Grab the original loop and the loop you have just made, and pull them until the bow is tight.[6]
    • Some people find having the bow under the tongue makes their shoes painful to wear. If this is uncomfortable for you, you can try pushing the bow under the sole of the shoe or to one side of your foot instead.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

Using Normal Criss-Cross Lacing with an Invisible Bow

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  1. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Hide Shoelaces
    Remove the laces from your shoes. Put both ends of the lace in the bottom holes from the inside to the outside. This should create a bar across the bottom two holes on the inside of the shoe. Pull the ends of the lace up to tighten it. Make sure the lace is centered and that both ends are the same length.
    • Criss-cross lacing is the most common type of shoe lacing. Most shoes will already be laced this way when they are purchased. Save yourself some time by checking to see whether they are already laced in a criss-cross pattern before you remove them.[7]
  2. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Hide Shoelaces
    Cross the right lace over the left and thread it up through the hole second to the bottom on the left. Now thread the left lace up through the second hole to the bottom on the right to make an X. Repeat this action, crossing the right lace over the left lace and bringing each end up through the next set of holes, until you reach the top of the shoe.[8]
  3. How.com.vn English: Step 3 Have the laces going into the shoe at the top.
    When you reach the top set of holes, thread the laces into the holes downward instead of upward. Instead of coming up out of the shoe, the laces should be going down into the shoe. This will leave the long ends inside the shoe.
  4. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Hide Shoelaces
    Cross right over left, then left over right to tie a square knot in the laces. Pull the shoelaces down to the toe of the shoe. Keeping the laces loose, cross the right lace over the left lace at the toe of the shoe, then bring the end of it under the place where the two laces cross to make a twist in the laces. Do not pull too tight, because you want this twist to stay at the toe of the shoe. Next, cross the left lace over the right lace and bring it under the place where the laces cross, above the first twist you created.[9]
    • Remember to keep the laces loose as you do this. The knot should land just inside the point of your shoe. It should fit in the space in front of your toes.
  5. How.com.vn English: Watermark How.com.vn to Hide Shoelaces
    Make sure that the knot goes all of the way down to the toe so that it will not rub your feet as you walk. Check that the knot is in the proper place each time you put the shoes on.
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      Tips

      • If you want, instead of tying a knot in your laces you can try using shoelace anchors.These will keep your laces in place without needing to knot them.
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      About This Article

      How.com.vn English: Victor Adrian
      Co-authored by:
      Footwear Expert
      This article was co-authored by Victor Adrian. Victor Adrian is a Footwear Expert based in London, UK. He is a Researcher, Tester, and Editor for BestForMyFeet.com, a leading footwear and footcare blog that discusses the importance of wearing the right footwear for the right occasion. Adrian is well-versed in determining which type of footwear is ideal for a variety of work and casual environments thanks to his vast working experience in different types of industries. He teams up with footwear professionals to test products and create comprehensive product reviews and comparisons that help readers choose the ideal footwear for their needs. Additionally, he collaborates with US board-certified podiatrists and foot doctors in order to make sure the information his team provides is always accurate. Adrian studied Biochemistry at the I.E.S. Calderon de la Barca Institute. This article has been viewed 530,255 times.
      11 votes - 71%
      Co-authors: 13
      Updated: March 23, 2024
      Views: 530,255
      Categories: Tying Shoelaces
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 530,255 times.

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