Shoelaces are something that we do not give much importance to. Sometimes we even forget to clean them up. But we can do various things with them.
Now, tying up the shoes can be done differently as the length of the shoelace varies.
Shoelaces come in different lengths to cater to different needs and have their own purposes. Below we are going to discuss various shoelace length related topics.
The Perfect Length
There might not be such a thing as the perfect length for shoelaces and it varies because of the size or width of people’s feet. The wider a person’s feet are, the longer the shoelace needs to be.
As there is no exact figure for the right shoelace, you are going to have to measure the laces of the shoe. If you choose a lace too short, then it will be very difficult for you tie the knot. However, if it’s too long, then the aglet is going to dangle, and it will get untied quite often.
Hole Pairs
The length of the shoelace is also dependent on the number of hole pairs your shoe has. A higher number of holes mean that your shoelace has to be longer. That’s mainly because the shoelace has to be looped around the holes before it can be tied up at the end of the hoops.
So, if your shoe has one or two hole pairs, then your shoelace should be around twenty-two inches long. If it has around 5, then the lace should be forty inches long. However, on a shoe with nine or ten holes, the shoelace should be around eighty-four inches in length.
Type of Lacing
Nowadays, people use the normal or rather formal lacing method as it makes them look formal. This is not really the case for casual shoes or sneakers.
A huge number of people are interested in making style statements with their shoelaces, but in order to do so, the lace has to be of a certain length. A short shoelace won’t be useful if you want to make complicated patterns using it.
So, you are going to have to try the designs out and see how long you really need the shoelace to be.
Why Are Some Shoelaces Longer?
You will see that sometimes even your 5-hole pair or eyelet shoes come with a 60-inch-long shoelace. This is a problem for many people as this shoelace is too long and the lace gets caught under the sole of the shoe and comes undone.
The reason why the shoe companies do this because it is less costly to have shoelace of the same length rather than having them of different lengths for different shoe sizes. The same laces are used for size 8 to size 16 shoes, even though it is too long for people who buy the size 8.
Another reason why the companies do this is because many people return the shoes if the shoelaces are too short and that just is an inconvenience for both the parties. In order to avoid this situation altogether, they just send the longer shoelace with the shoes.
What to Do If Your Shoelaces Are Too Long
In case you see that the shoelaces that came with your shoes are too long, there are a few tricks you can resort to for solving this problem without having to suffer long. The first method is tying them up differently.
You can learn how to tie shoelaces up in different pattern and knots to make them shorter or perfect for your size. These tutorials are readily available on Google and YouTube.
You can also cut the shoelaces to your size if tying up in different patterns is too difficult for you. However, if you do decide to cut the lace up, then you have to secure the end you cut off with an aglet. Because otherwise, it will be difficult for you to replace them the next time.
And finally, a very easy and effective way of dealing with the long shoelace problem would be to go out to the store and buying a few shoelaces to the length of your liking. This way you will not have to learn how to tie them up differently or cut them short.
Why Are Long Shoelaces Good?
Longer shoelaces are in fact good for you as you can loosen them up in case your feet swell up during the day. If the laces are too short or the right size, this will not be possible.
Conclusion
A lot of thought goes into something as small as a shoelace. And you are going to have to figure out which length is right for you and how to deal with a situation if they are too long.
If you need some advice regarding this, please let me know in the comments section.