I learned to tie my shoes as a kid, just like everyone else. What I didn’t realize though is that for the past twenty six years I’ve been tying my shoes incorrectly! I’d usually have to retie my shoes a few times throughout the day as they were regularly becoming untied.
Only after picking up a knot book at an Indigo sale many months ago did I find out that I have been mistakingly using the “granny” knot to tie my shoes. The granny knot, as its name suggests, is not very good. When put under strain it becomes undone and it’s hard to untie. What I really should have been using is called the “reef” knot, otherwise known as the “square” knot. What’s the difference? Well it’s slight but it matters. My shoes no longer become untied.
Using a granny knot to tie your laces:
Using a reef knot to tie your laces:
For a complete guide to tying your shoes properly check out this site. It is well maintained and has step by step instructions (the above images are borrowed from here). While you're there make sure to check out his shoelace site and complete guide to the different shoelace knots.
Comments
Ryan Hillier - July 27, 2005 4:14 pm
Dude, I use a reef knot, and my shoelaces still come untied sometimes. In the SAS Survival Handbook there is a variation on it, but it isn't infallible either. Maybe my shoelaces are made of substandard material...
Levi - July 27, 2005 5:33 pm
Dan, I'm eagerly awaiting your next post on the positives of Capitalism. What's up with this shoelace analysis, man?
Dan James - July 27, 2005 8:47 pm
Levi,
Sorry about that. It's one of those things that just came up :-). I've started writing the next "Good in Business" article though. Look for it in the next few days. It will be "Creativity in Business".
Levi - July 28, 2005 12:52 pm
No worries. :)
Sounds like a good one that you've got cooking.
Justin MacLeod - July 28, 2005 11:27 pm
Thanks Dan for the nice shoe-lace article. I've been doing it wrong for almost 30 years! =) (And by "it" I do mean tying my laces...ahem). I now will stride confidently with a spring in my step that I never had before. Tomorrow is looking up! Tonight... my shoelaces, tomorrow the world! In fact I am now seriously considering wearing my trusty Asics Gel sneakers to bed.
This is truly a small gem of information and I look forward to more like this!
Mathew - August 7, 2005 2:27 am
Man, shoelaces are *meant* to come untied. How else are you meant to surreptitiously perve on girls/guys?
Andrew Frederick - December 5, 2005 1:59 pm
I like my shoes untied I will purposely tie them loosely so they do come untied and slowly loosen up as I walk and like to watch peoples reactions when they tell me my shoes are untied and tell them I like it that way.