The most common method of lacing shoes is to cross the laces back and forth across the shoe while threading them through the holes, on either side of the shoe, in order. You have, however, several other options when it comes time to lace up your shoes. You also have several options when you are looking to lace up a pair of boots, and different lacing methods serve different purposes.

Hiking and biking lacing is a good option for exactly what it sounds like, hiking and biking. This lacing offers the least chance that your laces will get snagged on brush when hiking or bike chains when biking.

Thread the shoelace through the bottom two holes on the boot so that the two ends of the shoelace end up on the outside of the boot. Bring the end of the shoelace on the right side up to the next hole on the right side and thread it through from the outside to the inside of the shoe. Bring the shoelace on the left side up to the third hole on the left side of the boot and thread it through from the outside to the inside. Take the lace on the left side of the boot and thread it through the third hole on the right side from inside to outside. Take the lace on the right side of the boot and thread it through the second hole on the left side of the boot. Bring the lace on the right side up to the fifth hole on the right side of the boot and thread it through from outside to inside. Bring the lace on the left side of the boot up to the fourth hole on the left side and thread it through from outside to inside. Repeat this process until all the holes have been threaded. The two ends of the lace should be on the same side of the boot.

Ladder lacing is most often worn on military boots.

Start at the bottom of the boot and thread the lace through the bottom two holes so that both ends of the laces end up on the outside of the boot. Bring the lace on the right side up to the second hole on the right side and thread it through from outside to inside. Bring the lace on the left side of the shoe up to the second hole on the left side and thread it through from outside to inside. Take the lace on the left side of the shoe and thread it under the lace on the right side of the shoe between the first and second holes on the right side. Take the lace on the right side of the shoe and thread it under the lace on the left side of the shoe between the first and second holes on the left side. Thread the lace that is now on the left side of the shoe through the second hole on the left side from outside to inside. Thread the lace that is now on the right side of the shoe through the second hole on the left side from outside to inside. Repeat the same process as before, bringing the lace on the left to the right and the lace on the right to the left. Thread the lace that is now on the left under the lace that was on the left between the second and third hole. Thread the lace that is now on the right under the lace that was on the right between the second and third hole. Repeat this process until the laces reach the top of the boot.

Army lacing allows the sides of the boots to flex more easily than other styles of lacing, and it is often the way that combat boots are laced.

Start by threading the shoelace through the bottom two holes so that both ends of the shoelace are on the outside of the boot. Bring the lace on the left side of the shoe up to the second hole on the left side and thread it through from outside to inside. Bring the lace on the right side of the shoe up to the second hole on the right side and thread it through from outside to inside. Take the shoelace on the left and thread it through the third hole on the right side from inside to outside. Take the shoelace on the right and thread it through the third hole on the left side from inside to outside. Bring the lace that is now on the left side up to the fourth of the left side and thread it through from outside to inside. Bring the lace that is now on the right side up to the fourth hole on the right side and thread it through from outside to inside. Repeat this process of lacing until you reach the top of the boot.