Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot

(fieggen.com)

34 points | by mooreds 2 hours ago ago

11 comments

  • jonathanlydall 5 minutes ago

    I only realized in my 30s that I had been tying my shoelaces wrong my whole life and a super minor change in my method has changed them from coming undone multiple times per day (unless double knotted), to instead staying tied the whole day with just a standard shoelace knot [0] (also on Ian's site).

    This article's web page actually has the essential note:

    > NOTE: If your finished knot comes out crooked (eg. loops pointing heel-to-toe), it's probably because you tie your Starting Knot the opposite way to mine. This will result in an un-balanced knot, which sits crooked and comes undone more easily. See my Granny Knot page for more information.

    Back when I still used to browse Imgur, there was a post illustrating how to identify and fix this easy to make mistake. It turns out that I was starting with the lace over-then-under as opposed to under-then-over (or vice-versa).

    This quite literally changed my life, just a small muscle memory tweak and now my laces easily stay tied the whole day with a regular knot which is also super easy to release as well.

    [0]: https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/standardknot.htm

  • yuppiepuppie 2 minutes ago

    Best investment in the last 5 years for me - elastic shoelaces. Never have to tie my shoes again

  • dtj1123 19 minutes ago

    I switched to Ian's original shoelace knot about ten years ago. It's saved me something like four hours of shoelace time since then. Bloody brilliant.

    • SockThief 6 minutes ago

      I switched too and love it. It's arguably just a bit faster then the one I learned in childhood, but it's so much more reliable. I got couple of snickers I use daily and don't untie them at all, and the Ian's Knot [0] stays firmly knotted for months!

      [0] https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm

    • linsomniac 15 minutes ago

      I learned it around 5 years ago and it just makes tying my shoes feel so effortless, I also feel like it holds on a little better than the previous knot I was using. It took me a while to get the mechanics down.

  • jjice 24 minutes ago

    Learned this about five years ago on HN and it's the only way I've tied my shoes since. It's so fast and perfect every time. It's worth the ten minutes in your living room learning to tie your shoes again like a child!

  • hx833001 27 minutes ago

    This is the best knot. Looks amazing aesthetically and simply does not come undone. Unless you want it to, in which case a quick pull on one end unties it instantly.

  • orphea an hour ago

    You can also tie two knots but in the opposite directions:

    https://youtu.be/8DBhTXM_Br4?t=1711 (Veritasium)

  • teddyh an hour ago