Why YSK: The granny knot is the most common reason as to why show laces seem to be undone so easily. It’s caused when the Starting Knot & Finishing Bow don’t “balance” each other. Recognizing this can help you make your shoe knots much more secure.
Edit: (BTW, YSK the website as well. It’s a really good resource for tying and lacing shoes)
I watched this TED talk about 15 years ago and I’ve been trying my shoes that way ever since. It really is much better.
This alternative TED Talk is the method I use. Similar resulting knot but it will baffle most folks who’ve been tying their shoes the standard way!
Oh my, I had this revelation about a year ago myself. Watched a video for tying my zero drop running shoes. Game changer.
The important and easiest piece, is at the beginning; simply reverse which lace goes over which at the beginning. Then do your loop as regular.
Reading this, I realize it’s hard to explain. But it’s worth it to master. Works on boots, too.
Man I’m in my 30s and still do bunny ears to tie my shoes. Never really learned the “correct” way. My shoes do come untied a lot so maybe it’s time.
Bunny ears aren’t a problem! The resulting knot is the same as a standard shoelace knot. If your shoes are coming untied a lot, you probably are tying granny instead of square. Make sure that if you cross one way on the base crossing (like left over right), you cross the other way for the bunny ears step (like right over left). All the info in the link applies to bunny ears.
I’m 31 and I declare I’m too old to relearn the muscle memory. I acceot the occasional need to retie my laces.
Check if it’s incorrect and reverse the starting knot if so. It’s the same muscle memory.
I do the same! But all you have to do is tie the bunny ears the other way. For example, if you do the starting knot by putting the left lace over the right lace, then when you tie the bunny ears put the right “ear” over the left “ear.”
TIL I was tying my shoes wrong my entire life.
Another reminder that “it can’t be that hard” sentiment will almost always backfire.
I changed the way I tied my shoes after watching Devilman Crybaby. Much faster tying my shoes now and a reliable knot that is easy to loosen to when I want.
This is the method I use.
I’ve been using Ian’s Secure Knot.
Yes you can change how you tie your shoes. I’m in my 60s and I started tying my shoes with a square knot bow instead of a granny knot bow just a few months ago, and my laces haven’t come undone once. It is a much better system than the extra knot for keeping the laces tied. It’s surprising how so many things we do are unexamined, even when we try to question things and why we do them
That website has more detailed info that I had expected.
Knots, videos, images, logic… That is one crafty human.
This is a great YSK and a great website. Ever since learning about the granny knot, I’ve noticed that many people around me do it unknowingly.
I started wearing them to the airport when I was traveling a lot because it’s so easy to take them off/put them on while going through security in a rush. Now I just wear them everywhere!
I honestly don’t think I could learn a new way to tie my shoes at this point in my life if I tried. It’d be like trying to learn to write with my left hand.
Doable, probably, but whats the point? My shoes come untied I just bend down and retie them. Takes a few seconds.
Nice shoelaces thus world peace are the point
I guess I can’t argue with that logic.
I understand not wanting to relearn, and it’s not really that big a deal, but it’s also pretty easy to retrain yourself. Just start tying them opposite of what you currently do (flip whichever one goes on top) and the rest is the same. It took me some time at first, but now it’s second nature to me.
Ohh man my shoes gradually untying during the day have been bugging me for years! Always assumed it was because I was tying them in a hurry…
Just checked and sure enough I’ve been making granny knots all this time. Can’t believe I never thought to look it up 😅
Thank you so much!I just looked down to check my shoes and funnily enough one them is a balanced knot while the other one isn’t, lol
Yep, found that out a few years ago. Now I start tying my shoes with right-over-left, so I’m doing a square knot bow instead of a granny.
Right-over-left for the starting knot, then the classic rabbit-round-the-tree for the finishing bow (which is left-over-right for me), for the win!
Sometimes, I use this knot (without the extra twist on the bottom. It was once suggested on that site which must not be named, and for me, it does beat the double knot.
