How To Tie A Shoe

Pattern library / 6 patterns

Basketball and High-Top Lacing

High-top and mid-top lacing has to solve two problems at once: lock the ankle for lateral cuts, and keep the forefoot free enough to flex on a jump. These patterns do both.

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The footwear

Basketball high-tops carry 7–10 eyelet pairs, often mixing punched eyelets low down with webbing loops or D-rings at the ankle. The collar is padded, so lace tension at the top is felt as compression rather than pressure.

The laces

Flat laces 8–10 mm wide, 152–183 cm (60–72 in) long, are standard. Wide flats spread load across the padded collar. Waxed flats stay tied through a full game; unwaxed cotton needs a double knot.

All 6 patterns

schematic

Ankle Lock Lacing

Medium8 eyelet pairs

Ankle lock lacing builds a locking loop at the collar of a high-top so the ankle is held even when the forefoot lacing is left loose for flex.

Best for: Lateral stability on cuts

Steps

  1. Criss-cross up to the second-from-top eyelet.
  2. Form a loop on each side by threading up into the top eyelet on the same side.
  3. Pass each end through the opposite loop.
  4. Pull outward, then tie above the collar.

Tip
Lock at the collar, not the shin. Locking too high restricts dorsiflexion on a jump stop.

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schematic

Two-Zone Lacing

Medium9 eyelet pairs

Two-zone lacing splits the shoe into an independently tensioned forefoot and ankle by tying a half knot at the midfoot, so one zone cannot pull tension out of the other.

Best for: Loose forefoot, tight ankle

Steps

  1. Lace the forefoot rows to the tension you want.
  2. At the midfoot, tie a single overhand half-knot with both ends.
  3. Continue lacing the ankle rows at a different tension.
  4. Finish with a bow at the top.

Tip
The half-knot sits under the tongue flap, so it is invisible and does not press on the foot.

schematic

Skip Lacing (High-Top)

Easy9 eyelet pairs

Skip lacing misses out every other eyelet row on a tall high-top, which cuts the number of crossings, speeds up lacing, and reduces the total pressure points on the ankle.

Best for: Long lacing runs on tall boots

Steps

  1. Lace the bottom three rows normally.
  2. From there, cross to every second eyelet instead of every one.
  3. Keep the skipped eyelets empty.
  4. Finish at the top pair and tie.

Tip
Skipping halves the lace length needed on a 10-eyelet high-top.

schematic

Collar Wrap Lacing

Medium9 eyelet pairs

Collar wrap lacing runs the leftover lace once around the ankle collar before tying, which both takes up slack and adds a compressive band at the ankle.

Best for: Taking up excess lace on high-tops

Steps

  1. Lace normally to the top pair.
  2. Bring both ends around the back of the ankle collar in opposite directions.
  3. Bring them back to the front and cross.
  4. Tie a bow at the front of the ankle.

Tip
Keep the wrap above the ankle bone. A wrap directly over the malleolus will bruise.

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schematic

Straight Bar High-Top

Medium8 eyelet pairs

Straight bar lacing scaled up to a high-top gives a ladder of even horizontal bars up the ankle. It is a styling pattern rather than a performance one.

Best for: Clean-looking sneakers you do not play in

Steps

  1. Bar across the bottom pair with both ends underneath.
  2. Take each end up two eyelets on the inside and out.
  3. Bar it across and back down into the opposite eyelet.
  4. Repeat alternating ends to the collar.

Tip
Straight bars give less lateral hold than crossings. Not a pattern for competitive play.

schematic

Loose-Top Lacing

Easy9 eyelet pairs

Loose-top lacing simply leaves the upper two or three eyelet pairs unlaced and ties off lower. It is a long-standing streetwear look and it does reduce ankle restriction.

Best for: Retro styling with the top eyelets open

Steps

  1. Lace criss-cross from the bottom to the sixth or seventh row.
  2. Tie a firm double knot at that row.
  3. Tuck the ends inside the collar or leave them hanging.
  4. Leave the remaining eyelets empty.

Tip
Cuts ankle support substantially. Not appropriate for court play.

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Gear that goes with these patterns

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Questions about basketball and high-top lacing

How many basketball and high-top lacing patterns are there?
This library documents 6 distinct patterns for this category. Across the whole site there are 104 named lacing patterns and knots.
Which pattern should I start with?
Start with the first pattern listed, Ankle Lock Lacing. Ankle lock lacing builds a locking loop at the collar of a high-top so the ankle is held even when the forefoot lacing is left loose for flex.
What shoelaces do these patterns need?
Flat laces 8–10 mm wide, 152–183 cm (60–72 in) long, are standard. Wide flats spread load across the padded collar. Waxed flats stay tied through a full game; unwaxed cotton needs a double knot.
Will a different lacing pattern really change how the shoe fits?
Yes, within limits. Lacing moves where pressure lands and how firmly the heel is held, which resolves most minor fit complaints. It cannot make a shoe that is the wrong length or width fit correctly.

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