Probably the most common method of lacing normal shoes & boots, the laces simply criss-cross as they work their way up the shoe.

Criss Cross Lacing is the most basic, traditional lacing method. Almost all lace-up footwear and clothing throughout history has been – and still is – designed to suit this lacing.

Criss Cross Lacing is reasonably comfortable because the crossovers of shoelace occur in the gap between the sides of the shoe and thus aren't pressed against the top of the foot.

• At each eyelet pair, cross the ends, feeding under the sides and out through the next higher set of eyelets. Repeat until lacing is completed.

• Begin straight across on the inside (grey section) and out through the bottom eyelets.

Criss Cross Lacing – Factory Variation

There is a subtle variation of Criss Cross Lacing that appears in many shoes that come pre-laced from the factory. The lacing starts with the bottom horizontal section running straight across the outside and with the first crossover on the inside. The remainder of the shoe is laced normally.

Visually, this is less consistent and thus less appealing (to me). Perhaps some people like the bottom horizontal “bar” as a sort of underline ?

Functionally, there is little good reason for this variation – with the possible exception of shifting the lowest pressure point up a little.

So what is the main reason for this variation?

Historically, there was a period when manufacturers were shipping shoes with the lace ends fed into the bottom eyelets and simply tucked away neatly inside the shoe. In later years, with greater competition and cheaper labor, manufacturers began lacing their shoes all the way, yet still starting as they always did with the ends fed into the bottom eyelets. The end result was this variation, which has since become one of the “standard” ways that shoes now arrive pre-laced.