Practical lacing
Wide Foot Lacing
Give your feet more room without leaving your whole shoe loose
Do your trainers fit comfortably around your heel but feel too tight across the widest part of your foot?
Your first instinct might be to loosen all your laces.
But that can solve one problem while creating another - suddenly the whole shoe feels loose and your foot isn't held securely.
Wide-Foot Lacing takes a more targeted approach.
Difficulty
★
★
★
Easy
Time
2–5 mins
Best for
Wide feet, tight forefoot, running shoes, everyday trainers
Lace length
120–140cm per lace
No different shoes. No special laces.
Just a small change to where your laces cross your foot.
Watch the video tutorial
Overview
Learn Wide-Foot Lacing with Lindsay, Chief Laceologist at Love Your Laces.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Time required: 2–5 mins
- Best for: Wide feet, tight forefoot, running shoes, everyday trainers
- Lace length: 120–140cm per lace
Why Does Wide-Foot Lacing Work?
Traditional Criss Cross Lacing does something very useful: every time the laces cross, they help draw the two sides of the shoe together. Usually, that's exactly what we want.
But if your shoe already feels snug across one particular area, repeatedly crossing and tightening the laces over that spot can add more pressure.
Wide-Foot Lacing changes that.
By running the laces vertically rather than diagonally through the tightest section, we reduce the amount of lace pulling directly across the top of the foot.
Once we're past that area, we can return to Criss Cross Lacing to retain security further up.
So rather than simply making the whole shoe looser, we're being much more selective.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow each step to create this lace pattern.
1
Step One: Start at the bottom
Before continuing, think about where your shoe actually feels tight. For many people with wider feet, this will be across the forefoot - the widest part towards the front of the shoe. That's the area we're going to give a little more room.
2
Step Two: Take your lace vertically
Take each lace straight up to the next eyelet on the same side.
3
Step Three: Repeat
Repeat on the other side. You'll now have two short vertical sections rather than an X sitting across the middle of your foot.
4
Step Four: Start Criss Cross
Take one lace diagonally across to the next available eyelet on the opposite side.
5
Step Five: Continue to Criss Cross
Continue with ordinary Criss Cross Lacing towards the top of the shoe.
6
Step Six: Adjust the tension
Now gently adjust your laces from the bottom upwards. Room where you need it. Security where you want it.
7
Step Seven: Tie and test
Tie your normal bow, stand up and walk around.
Wide Feet or High Instep?
Here's an important distinction.
A shoe that feels tight doesn't necessarily mean you have wide feet.
If the pressure is mainly across the sides and widest part of your forefoot, Wide-Foot Lacing may be worth trying.
If the uncomfortable pressure is mainly on top of your foot, you may instead have a higher instep and a different lacing technique may suit that problem better.
We'll be adding High-Instep Lacing to the Lace Library too.
Because one lacing technique doesn't fit every foot.
Did You Know?
You don't have to follow exactly the same lacing pattern on every pair of shoes. Once you understand what the laces are doing, you can adapt the pattern to your own foot. Need extra room across two eyelets? Change two. Need it across three? Change three. That's one of the cleverest things about shoelaces: they're adjustable in far more ways than simply tight or loose.
Shop Laces That Work Beautifully
Choose a lace colour and style that helps this pattern look its best.
Laceologist's Fit Tip
Wide-Foot Lacing can help adjust how an otherwise suitable shoe feels.
But it can't magically turn a shoe that's fundamentally too narrow into the right shoe.
If your toes are cramped, your foot is pressing hard against the sides of the shoe, or you're experiencing persistent pain or rubbing, it's worth checking the fit and width of the footwear itself.
Clever lacing can fine-tune the fit. It can't change the shape of the shoe.
Lindsay, Chief Laceologist
Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to some of the most common questions about this lacing style.
What is Wide-Foot Lacing?
It's a lacing technique that reduces the number of diagonal crosses over the widest part of the foot, helping create more room in that section while allowing the shoe to remain secure elsewhere.
How do I lace trainers for wide feet?
Instead of Criss Crossing every eyelet, take the laces vertically up the same side through the area where you need more room. Once you're above that area, return to normal Criss Cross Lacing.
Do I need special shoelaces?
No. You can try this technique using the laces already in your shoes.
Should I leave the whole shoe loose if I have wide feet?
Not necessarily. That's the advantage of changing the lacing pattern: you can create more room in one area without automatically loosening the entire shoe.
Is Wide-Foot Lacing suitable for running shoes?
It can be used with suitable running shoes as well as many other lace-up trainers. Make sure the shoe itself is the correct size and width for your foot.
What's the difference between Wide-Foot Lacing and High-Instep Lacing?
They're intended to address pressure in different places. Wide-Foot Lacing focuses primarily on creating room around the wider forefoot area, while High-Instep techniques focus on reducing lace pressure over the top of the foot.
What if my shoes still feel too narrow?
Lacing can adjust the fit to a degree, but it can't increase the actual width of the shoe. If your footwear remains uncomfortable, the shoe itself may not be the right width or shape for your foot.
Happy Lacing!
Wide-Foot Lacing isn't about leaving your shoes loose.
It's about being a little more clever with where they're loose and where they're secure.
Once you realise you don't have to lace every single eyelet in exactly the same way, a whole new side of shoelacing opens up.
Your shoes don't decide where you need the extra room. Your feet do.
I'm Lindsay, Chief Laceologist at Love Your Laces.
Until next time... Happy Lacing!