HOW TO LACE YOUR LUXURY SNEAKERS

LACING METHODS FOR LEATHER SNEAKERS: PARALLEL, STRAIGHT AND DISPLAY LACING EXPLAINED

HOW A SHOE IS LACED IS NOT A TRIVIAL DETAIL. IT AFFECTS FIT, COMFORT, THE VISUAL BALANCE OF THE SHOE AND HOW THE UPPER SITS ACROSS THE FOOT. FOR A HANDMADE LEATHER SNEAKER, WHERE THE PROPORTION AND SILHOUETTE HAVE BEEN CAREFULLY CONSIDERED, THE LACING METHOD DESERVES THE SAME ATTENTION.

PARALLEL LACING

PARALLEL LACING, ALSO CALLED STRAIGHT LACING, CREATES A SERIES OF HORIZONTAL LINES ACROSS THE FACE OF THE SHOE WITH NO DIAGONAL CROSSES VISIBLE ON THE SURFACE. THE CROSSES ARE PRESENT BENEATH THE TONGUE. THE RESULT IS CLEAN, MINIMAL AND PARTICULARLY SUITED TO LEATHER SNEAKERS WHERE THE SURFACE OF THE UPPER IS MEANT TO BE READ WITHOUT INTERRUPTION.

TO LACE IN PARALLEL: FEED THE LACE THROUGH THE BOTTOM PAIR OF EYELETS FROM UNDERNEATH, SO BOTH ENDS EMERGE ON TOP. TAKE THE LEFT END STRAIGHT ACROSS AND FEED IT DOWN THROUGH THE RIGHT EYELET OF THE SECOND ROW. BRING IT BACK UNDERNEATH AND UP THROUGH THE LEFT EYELET OF THE SAME ROW. CONTINUE UPWARD ON THE LEFT SIDE, CROSSING EACH TIME ON THE RIGHT. THE VISUAL RESULT IS A SERIES OF HORIZONTAL BARS WITH NO DIAGONALS VISIBLE.

DISPLAY LACING

DISPLAY LACING IS USED WHEN THE SHOE IS NOT BEING WORN, IN A DISPLAY BOX, ON A SHELF, OR IN PHOTOGRAPHY. IT CREATES THE NEATEST POSSIBLE PRESENTATION OF THE UPPER AND IS THE METHOD USED BY SERIOUS MAKERS WHEN PRESENTING THEIR WORK. THE LACE IS THREADED SO THAT ONLY HORIZONTAL LINES ARE VISIBLE ON THE TOP AND THE SHOE CAN BE TIED IN A BOW WITHOUT TENSION ON THE UPPER.

LACE TENSION AND WEAR

BEYOND METHOD, TENSION MATTERS. OVERLACING, PULLING THE LACE TOO TIGHT ACROSS THE INSTEP, DISTORTS THE UPPER AND CREATES PRESSURE POINTS THAT ACCELERATE WEAR AT THE EYELET ROW. CORRECT TENSION HOLDS THE FOOT WITHOUT BINDING AND ALLOWS THE LEATHER TO FLEX NATURALLY WITH EACH STEP.

THE LACE IS THE LAST THING APPLIED BEFORE WEARING. IT DESERVES THE SAME ATTENTION AS EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE SHOE.