I never understood runners who ALWAYS mid-run laces come untied!

I think some runners loosen their shoelaces before a race to give themselves an alibi for stopping to recover from their lungs flying out of their arsehole. I guarantee 9 out of 10 mid-race shoe-ties are fake.

I switched to elastic laces 10 years ago. Never gets untied, 5 seconds to put on shoe, 5 seconds to snug up laces just before the gun, eliminates top of foot bruises under eyelets.

A significant portion, probably easily a majority, of people tie their shoes incorrectly. I cannot explain how using words. Look up a video on youtube of how to tie shoes correctly. There is never any need to double knot when you tie your shoes the right way. They will never come undone. Meanwhile double knots are not untie proof when you tie your shoes incorrectly. This is a serious post btw. I didn't learn how to properly tie my shoes until I was 26 and it was life changing. Before that I tied them the common, but ineffective way, which is how most people do it (it is an easier way to learn - most of us are slow learners).

Something Swallowed wrote:

A significant portion, probably easily a majority, of people tie their shoes incorrectly. I cannot explain how using words. Look up a video on youtube of how to tie shoes correctly. There is never any need to double knot when you tie your shoes the right way. They will never come undone. Meanwhile double knots are not untie proof when you tie your shoes incorrectly. This is a serious post btw. I didn't learn how to properly tie my shoes until I was 26 and it was life changing. Before that I tied them the common, but ineffective way, which is how most people do it (it is an easier way to learn - most of us are slow learners).

That's true.

However, shortly after I started running I read that you should double-tie. I've always done this and I've never had a problem in almost 15 years. To me, that's a simpler solution than re-learning how to tie your shoes.

I'm a paranoid racer and have no problem double knotting under any circumstances. You are right that untied shoes while running are basically unacceptable. I will say it only took me about an hour a day for a week to relearn how to tie my shoes and 15 years later it has been totally worth it. Not specifically for running but for all walks of life.

In 25 years of running and racing, I can't even count on one finger the number of times this has happened to me.

I think improper shoe tying technique must be the culprit.

All of this can be avoided by running in crocs.

Something Swallowed wrote:

I didn't learn how to properly tie my shoes until I was 26 and it was life changing.

I was 26, too. There was an article in Runners World after Usain Bolt set the World Record with his shoe untied in 2008. If he can't keep his shoes tied for 100m, I don't feel bad that my shoes used to come untied after 2-3 miles.

Bill Rodgers stopped in the last 6 miles of the Boston Marathon in the 1980's to tie his shoe. He ran a 2:09 and won.

lace locks for the win holmes

Hal hidgon wrote:

Been running for nearly 35 years and can count on one hand the amount of times my laces have come undone. I run with several groups and different people and it always seems like the same j*****ff always has to stop because his mommy didn't teach him how to double knot his shoelaces.

I ALWAYS double knot for training runs and TRIPLE knot for races. 99.999% of the time it works EVERY time.

What gives? People overly confident that the single knot will hold for a 10 mile trail run?

You're the best! People whose laces come untied are total losers!

I cheat at parkrun wrote:

I think some runners loosen their shoelaces before a race to give themselves an alibi for stopping to recover from their lungs flying out of their arsehole. I guarantee 9 out of 10 mid-race shoe-ties are fake.

6/10

THIS.

Anybody remember last year's men's marathon in the Rio Olympics? There was one runner (Alemu Bekele of Bahrain, if I'm not mistaken) whose shoelaces kept getting untied, causing him to stop at the roadside for THREE/FOUR times. You would think olympic-level marathoners can at least tie their shoelaces right. Once is being sloppy, twice is unfortunate, but three or four times? In an olympic race? It was so infuriating. As an elite athlete you have to get a basic skill like that right. Urgh. Had I not been focusing on studying Kipchoge's fabulous form, I probably would've stopped watching there and then.

Nooway wrote:

Bill Rodgers stopped in the last 6 miles of the Boston Marathon in the 1980's to tie his shoe. He ran a 2:09 and won.

Bill Rodgers never ran 2:09 in the 80s

Something Swallowed wrote:

Look up a video on youtube of how to tie shoes correctly ... I didn't learn how to properly tie my shoes until I was 26 and it was life changing.

Care to provide a link? I have no idea what you're talking about. But my laces never come undone so maybe I just don't have that problem.

Shoe laces should be tied with a slipped reef knot. That's the proper name and prpper knot for tying shoes but people tie slipped granny knots instead of slipped reef knots. Slipped granny knots are insecure and will come undone. Slipped reef knots are better and are secure for most laces but some laces are ( typically round are bad ) are difficult to keep tied. If you are using a slipped reef and your laces come untied then switch to a turquoise turtle knot. A turquoise turtle is completely secure but can be untied as easily as a slipped reef knot. Ians shoelace page has complete explantaions of all this if you can to google it.

I tie my shoe laces so tight, i give my feet no breathing space and i could feel my feet pulsating.

I have this problem often. I hate double knots cause they are hard to untie when I want to. Just tried that turquoise turtle thing seems pretty good.

Hal hidgon wrote:I never understood runners who ALWAYS mid-run laces come untied!

Really? I can barely understand your comment. Try this on for size: "I've never understood runners whose laces always come untied mid-run!"

Let me know if English isn't your first language and I'll apologize.