COOL WAYS TO LACE YOUR CONVERSE SHOES

Converse shoes, especially low- and high-top Chuck Taylors, make both an iconic and classic visual statement. Lacing the shoes differently than the usual crisscross or “X” pattern makes them stand out in a crowd and gives them a custom look without requiring anything other than shoelaces. Start with clean, crisp shoelaces that are fresh and bright, then show off your lacing handiwork to all around.

Straight Across

Instead of a crisscross pattern, have the laces moving straight across the top of the shoe from one hole to its partner on the other side with no diagonal lacing at all. Push each lace end downward through its respective hole closest to the toe, pulling each end so there’s a straight line of lace across the first pair of eyelets. The end of the right lace goes up through the next closest hole on the same side, then straight across and down through its partner eyelet. The opposite lace end skips this already-laced hole, moving up through the next one available on the same side, and across and down through its partner eyelet. Continue the process until the entire shoe is laced in this way.

Standard Double Up

Use two colors of shoelaces to show off favorite school or team colors, or simply choose two colors you enjoy together based on your outfit. A standard double lacing begins by lacing the shoe first with one color, but skipping an entire row of holes each time — in other words, as you pull the lace across the tongue to reach the next eyelet on the opposite side, skip it and instead go to the third eyelet hole. Skip a row of eyelets every time you thread the lace across the shoe, all the way up the shoe. The second shoelace — this one a different color — starts the process all over again in the holes left behind. Tie one bow using both sets of laces at the same time, giving the bow a two-tone look as well.

Checkerboard

A checkerboard pattern also involves two laces in the same shoe, typically using two different colors to make that checkerboard pattern really stand out. Flat laces like the type that come with Chuck Taylors work best for this design. Lace one color using the straight-across method, keeping the lace untwisted along the way. Starting near the toe with the second lace, weave it under one row of the first lace and over the next, all the way up until it loops around the lace bar near the opening of the shoe, then weave back down opposite the first pattern, like weaving on a loom. Tuck loose ends under laces beneath the eyelets.

Color Bars

Color bars offer a combination of the straight-across method and two lace colors, only the technique is done by tying two short lace pieces together, each a different color. Broken shoelaces are ideal for this, with one color slightly longer than the other. Start by pulling the portion with the longest color up through the eyelet nearest the toe then across and down through its partner eyelet. Continue the straight-across lacing method, and every other row will be a different color.