Ways to Lace Up Jordans

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There are almost 2 trillion ways to lace sneakers with at least six pairs of eyelets. Rather than leaving your sneakers laced the way they were when you bought them, try different lacing combinations and colors for a unique look on Nike Jordan sneakers. There are many websites and books devoted to lacing methods. The options are limited only by the imagination.

General Methods

A website run by Ian Fieggen displays dozens of ways to lace up sneakers such as Jordans and includes advantages and disadvantages of lacing methods. For instance, his straight lacing style features one lace starting upward through the right ankle eyelet and under the bottom to the right of the eyelet and up through the right toe eyelet. The lace is fed downward through the corresponding left eyelet, up through the next left and through to the corresponding right eyelet. The finished look makes for individual horizontal lace lines for each set of eyelets.

Ian's favorite lacing technique -- because of its decorative look and reduction on wear and tear -- is the over under, which starts with equal ends of both laces run across the top of the shoe and through the eyelets. One lace is run under the other and through the next set of eyelets until the lace is fed upward through the final set of eyelets.

Two Colors

One way to use two colors of lace is through the double lacing method. Start the first color in the top set of eyelets and the alternate color through the second set of eyelets. Then, skip a set of eyelets with each lace. Four ends of two laces stop at the top of the shoe and can then be tied according to personal style.

Double-sided lacing calls for flat laces held together. Start the laces through the top eyelets and, keeping them flat, continue to crisscross the laces.

Lacing Through Lugs

For lugs, including holed extensions or tiny curved posts, many styles can give sneakers a fashionable, colorful look. For Fieggen's lug infinity style, use thin laces and start equal lengths through the top left and right lugs. Cross the laces and run them through their opposing lugs before repeating the process down the length of the shoe. There will be two lace passes through each lug.

For the Lug Loop Back, each side loops back on itself down the middle for the look of two springs intertwining. Start equal lengths of lace through each top lug and cross them over before looping the lace back the side from whence it came.

Tips

Feiggen suggest using soft, flat laces and crisscross lacing to minimize pressure points. Rather than use laces of slippery material such as nylon, try polyester or natural fibers such as cotton. To make shoelaces last longer, tighten them by pulling out rather than up. This also minimizes strain on the last eyelet. In emergency situations when laces break or are just too short, skip one or more eyelets near the ankle rather than the toe.