fieldguide: the proper way to tie your shoes

Do you have that problem where you tie your shoes, start walking and 10 seconds and BAM your shoes are untied? Then you think to yourself what the heck, I literally just tied them! Well rest assured it's not just you, we've both been tying them ALL wrong! The other day I learned from my co-worker, an avid runner, the proper way to tie your shoelaces so they're not constantly falling out. Apparently there is a weak version of the knot that lies parallel to your shoe (left foot) and falls out easily and a strong version of the knot that lies perpendicular to your shoe (right foot). So forget that double knotting, let me show you the proper way to tie your shoes...

1. Tie your laces left over right. (Make your shoes tight!) A rhyme for you, if you have trouble remembering things like me...

2. Make a loop on the right side.

3. This step is the key to tying a strong version of the knot! Wrap your left lace around the right loop,  over your pointer and middle finger first bringing the lace away from your body and then towards it. (Reference the above GIFs to make sure you're doing it right!) If you bring the lace the knot toward yourself first and then away it will make the weak version of the knot, which we don't want.

4. Push the middle of the left lace through the "hole" between the base of your right loop and part of the left lace. Grab that same left middle section with your right hand and pull it through the hole, tightening it. Your bow should be perpendicular to your shoe. If your laces are going parallel to your shoe, it's tied in the "granny" version and will fall out easily when moving about.

TA-DA, you did it! No more undone shoes...or at least significantly less! :)

xo from catie

p.s. For those of you who still do the bunny ears method, be sure to tie your beginning knot left over right and then your bunny ears right over left to make it secure. Most people tend to tie both parts the same way which creates the granny knot! :)