3 Ways how to lace your tennis shoes

You won’t be alone in thinking: ‘I don’t need anyone to tell me how to lace my shoes. I’ve been doing it since I was a child.’

We’re not saying that you’ve been doing it wrong all these years, but have you considered that there could be better ways of lacing your tennis shoes, which could enhance your fit, comfort and performance?

After all, tennis starts with movement and footwork - the happier your feet are, and the better you are at getting into position to hit a shot, the more likely you are to play to your potential. Changing how you lace your shoes might just be the difference that allows you to win your next match or even tournament. And do you know the method for tying your laces that means they won’t come undone in the middle of a match but can still be easily untied afterwards?

Here are three lacing methods that you could try for a more comfortable fit on the court:

1.) Runner's Loop

Do your heels slip when you’re running on court, rubbing against the back of your shoes and giving you blisters?

Maybe, with your feet moving around, your toes are bashing against the front of your shoes, causing discomfort and blisters. If that’s you, it sounds as though you need to try the Runner’s Loop lacing method.

You might have been wondering why there’s an extra shoelace hole on your tennis shoes; you’re going to be using that additional eyelet with this method, which is going to help to give you more stability on the court.

• Criss-cross your laces as you would normally until you get to the second eyelet from the top.
• On each side now thread the lace through the top eyelet on the same side (so don’t cross them over again). You’ve now created a loop on each side.
• Now thread each end of the lace through the loop on the other side and tie your laces.

2.) Wide Foot Lacing

If you have wide feet, this lacing technique will give you a little more room in your shoes, improving your comfort. Remember that your feet will swell slightly during long matches, especially on a warm day, so you will need even more space then.

• For a looser feel, start by lacing straight across the bottom two eyelets, with the laces on top and going through the eyelets into the inside of the shoe.
• Now, on the big toe side, thread the lace up through the second eyelet on the same side, and then do the same on the little toe side.
• You now take the laces on the big toe side and thread it through the third eyelet on the same side, and then repeat the process on the little toe side.
• Now you criss cross the laces the until you reach the top eyelet, and you then tie your laces

3.) Diagonal Lacing

If you have had any pain or numbness in your toes, you could try this Diagonal Lacing method.

• Start by threading one end of the lace through the bottom eyelet closest to your big toe and then diagonally across and through the highest eyelet on the other side.
• Make sure that you pull the lace through so you have enough length to tie your laces. Take the other end of lace and guide it through the other bottom eyelet, from the top to the inside.
• Now thread it through the next eyelet on the other side, from the inside to the top, and continue with the pattern until you reach the top eyelet.
• Now tie your laces.

And could you improve how you tie your laces?

Reef knot

Do you find that your laces keep coming undone during matches?

Try using this knot instead, which should stay in place all match, as the more you move around, the tighter the knot should get.

The problem with the conventional way of tying your shoelaces, which is often called the Granny Knot, is that you’re doing everything - the initial stage and then the loop - left over right. Everything’s in the same direction – that’s why it can come loose when you’re moving around. With the Reef Knot, you tie the bow in the opposite way to the initial part so it’s more likely to stay tied. And, at the end of your match, it’s still easy to untie the laces and remove your shoes.