Tying Shoes

Contains 20 × shoelace knots, including my world's fastest “Ian Knot”, plus important info on preventing the “Granny Knot”, which causes shoelaces to sit crooked and come undone.

Something for Everyone Most people learn how to tie their shoelaces around the age of five. Why then would anyone older than that visit a website about tying shoes? Parents & teachers look for early learning materials.

Teens and adults look for self-help, either through having never learned correctly as a child or due to increasing infirmity.

People whose shoelaces come undone look for a secure answer.

Occupational therapists look for alternatives to suit clients with different limitations or learning styles.

Academics & lateral thinkers look for more efficient methods.

Knot enthusiasts look for shoelace knot reference materials.

Sportspeople look for a competitive edge. Whatever the reason, I'm sure that almost everyone will find something useful here about shoe tying!

Table of Contents

Shoelace Knots Want to learn how to tie your shoes? Whether you're after shoelace tying speed, simplicity, security or style, here's twenty different shoelace knots to choose from – including several that I've created.

The “Granny Knot” Do your shoelaces sit crooked? Do you retie your shoes several times a day? These are both signs of a “Granny Knot”. Learn the “one simple trick” for keeping your shoes neatly and securely tied.

Knot Variations All of the knots on my site were illustrated only one way – the same way that I tie them. While you are welcome to use your own variations, this page shows how to ensure that the finished knot still ends up secure.

Untying Shoelaces Untying is usually easy – but not always! This page explains why shoelace knots sometimes jam when untying, plus gives some tips for preventing such jams.

Knot Comparison With so many knots to choose from, how do you decide which to use? This page compares both their functional and visual considerations feature by feature to help you choose.

Knot Ratings All of the Shoelace Knots on this site have the facility for visitors to give them a rating from 1 to 5 stars (1=Awful to 5=Excellent). Here, you can view the results of those ratings.