Menswear was something that used to be overlooked but now, we don’t even let something as small as laces slide. If you ask us, we’re all for it! Shoelaces give shoes a completely different appearance. For example, if you add on pink-colored laces to a pair of black Oxfords, people will definitely notice.
How to tie dress shoes and proper lacing skills should be every gentleman’s forte. Just tying two bunny ears together won’t cut it. When dressing up in formal wear, you must pay attention to the most intricate of details and this is where we step in.
What To Expect In This Article?
Picking The Perfect Shoelaces for Your Dress Shoes
Some basic rules about dress shoe laces are that fine and narrow laces are great for formal shoewear while wide and thick laces look great on casual footwear. Keeping this in mind, canvas shoes usually have thicker, wider shoe laces styles while Oxfords tend to lie on the more narrow lace shoe style.
Dress shoes look their best with their original narrow laces but if you’re up for a change, you can pair a flat style of dress laces and add them to your classic dress shoes. This will give the shoe a whole new impression. Standard shoe styles can tend to get boring. If you’re looking for a cool way to lace shoes then try matching your shoelaces to the material of your tie/bowtie. Satin is an excellent choice.
What Are Eyelets and Why Are They Important?
Eyelets are the small holes on the upper part of leather shoes through which you lace your shoes. Eyelets are one of the many fine details on dress shoes. The number of eyelets and their color adds to the dress shoes’ overall appearance.
For example, if you’re wondering what to wear to a casual interview, leather boots would be a great option. They showcase a decent number of eyelets, allowing the shoelaces to really shine through. Plus, the long length of the shoelace allows you to try out unique lacing styles.
Types of Lacing Styles
Buying different colored laces is more budget-friendly than buying a number of different shoes. Once you’ve got your fresh pair of laces, it’s time to lace shoes. When lacing up dress shoes you have to be careful not to stretch the shoes too much since that can cause the shoe to crease. We most certainly don’t want that.
When it comes to types of lacing there are two main styles. Straight or bar lacing, and cross lacing. Straight lacing is the preferred style or should we say the ‘traditional style’ of lacing up dress shoes. Down below we have mentioned a little bit about the two lacing styles and how you too can learn them.
Straight or Bar Lacing
If you’re a shoe enthusiast you would know that Oxfords are styled with straight lacing. It provides a clean look due to the closed lacing system of the shoe. This lacing style is great if you want a more polished look and if you have slightly shorter shoelaces.
How Do You Straight Lace Shoes?
- First, insert the lace through the bottom eyelets. Make sure both tips are almost equal in length.
- Straight lace it over.
- Now pull the other end of the shoelace in through to the other side.
- Continue to do this for all the other eyelets.
- Once you reach the final eyelets, make sure everything is even. You can make adjustments by loosening up the eyelets and pulling on the shorter end (lace).
- If you haven’t quite got it you can always watch a video and get perfect lace shoes.
Cross Lacing
Cross lacing is a bit more noticeable and eccentric in its ways; the lacing style. It’s a style that would look great paired with a suit jacket and Derby shoes.
How Do You Criss Cross Lace Shoes?
The lacing starts from the bottom section and runs straight from the outside, with the first crossing on the inside. The rest of the shoe is laced normally.
- Firstly, you need to line up the bottom row of eyelets through the lace. Make sure the laces are even. Then, from the inside cross the laces.
- Once you cross them, move back from the outside to the inside.
- Continue to lace the shoes in the same manner.
- When you reach the top, move from the outside in and tie a knot over the tongue of the shoe. This will conceal the knot, giving it a neater look.
- That’s all folks! You have mastered cross lacing.
Types of Knots
Once you’ve figured out how to lace your shoes, it is now time to learn how to knot them. Did this unlock a childhood memory? The kind where you make bunny ears and tie them together? Well, that’s the way we did it, but apparently, it is not fancy enough. Here are a few different types of knots to keep up with the trends.
Basic Knot
This is the one that hopefully you all have mastered by now. It;s elementary and gets the job done. You just make two loops, a.k.a bunny ears, and twist them together and pull. Pretty straight forward right?
Double Knot
Did you successfully make a knot but it’s all loose? Well, you can fix that by tying another knot over it for more secure knotting.
Parisian Knot
A Parisian knot is our knot of choice for dress shoes. Once you’re done lacing dress shoes, you can add on this knot for an ultimate chic look. The difference in this knot is that you start off with a half knot. This ensures extra tightness.
Once you master these you can move on to other shoe knots like Ian knots and Reef Knots. These shoe knots will surely up your shoe game!
How You Lace Your Shoe Matters!
When you go for an interview or a business meeting, whether you like it or not, you are the center of attention. You will be judged for every little detail and your outfit plays a major role. How you dress is a reflection of the kind of person you are. A polished outfit surely will increase your chance of success.
So, whether you’re picking out shoes with a leather jacket or with a suit, it’s important to give the lacing of the shoe a good look. This minute detail can actually improve your attire and impress others with your signature style and shoe game.
Conclusion
Learning how to lace your dress shoes is a skill that every gentleman should possess. It may seem like an ignorable detail but believe it or not, it is very much noticeable. Laces are basically accessories for shoes.
Just as shoes make an outfit pop, the way you lace your shoes, make them stand out. The style of lacing and the knots you tie are all part of a bigger picture. When it comes to dress shoes, just remember, each step counts.
Well, that’s a wrap! We hope the next time you lace your shoes or buy purple shoelaces, you think of us!
