The Sperry Topsider, a boat shoe that was developed in 1953 by Paul Sperry, is still a popular shoe today, over 50 years later. Easily identified by their leather laces, these shoes are lauded by fans for their performance and durability, and many use them for years. If you have a faithful pair of Sperry Topsiders that are still going strong, and all they need is a new set of laces, you only need to know the proper way to tie them up.
Trim the ends of the laces with the scissors so that they are tapered and come to a point rather than being flat.
Insert the tapered end of the lace into the needle. Turn the needle in a clockwise direction so that it is secured to the lace.
Start with the top front eyelet on the shoe. Insert the needle through the top eyelet from the outside in, as opposed to running the lace from the inside of the shoe out, like you do when lacing most shoes from the bottom up. Run the needle across to the second eyelet on the opposite side, and thread it up through that eyelet.
Bring the needle up through the eyelet on the side of the shoe. Work your way around the sides and back of the shoe threading the needle in and out of each eyelet as you go.
Thread the needle in through the last eyelet on the side of the shoe and then up and through the bottom-most open eyelet on the front of the shoe. Now simply thread up through the remaining open eyelets in the front of the shoe in the conventional lacing pattern.
Unscrew the lacing needle, tie a bow knot at the top, and you are finished.