The most intricate, thought provoking and vexing experience of every troubled childhood? Learning how to tie your shoe laces.
Eventually you get it, but not before you let out a scream of frustration. Why, it was only yesterday, 1975, when we were taught to tie our own laces. The shoes were Chuck Taylor highs in black. The laces were white and our grandma showed us how to cross the laces, pull tight, then make a half loop in one hand, then wrap the other unlooped lace around the looped one, then, um, so yeah.
Tying shoe laces is hard for a kid. It’s like learning a new language … eventually we got the hang of it. Then hip-hop hit and it was game over.
Besides having the cleanest, brightest, whitest, kicking-est kicks, knowing how to tie them was just as important. They needed to look fly, they needed to stand out, they needed to be fresh to death. Whether you were wearing fat laces or no laces, how your feet looked completed your outfit. Word.
Checker board and latticed lacing? Did it. Over and under loops? Did it. Multi-colored over and under loops with the tips poking out the top eyelets? Did that too. Double Helixes? Come on, son!
After the break, six million ways to tie your laces, choose one. OK, there’s only eight of our favorites. Enjoy via the magic of YouTube!
Above: Checkerboard lacing on Converse high tops.
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Double Helix lacing on high top Cons.
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Straight bar lacing is demonstrated.
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Spider Lacing on military boots. Video demo after the break.
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Spiderweb lacing demonstration.
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Pentagram lacing instructions after the break.
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Pentagram lacing.
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Loop over and Lattice lacing. Instructions after the break.
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Lattice lacing instructions.
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Instructions on how to Loop lace.
