The Laziest Costume Upgrade

Laces, Neeps and a Very Bad Joke: How to Halloween Your Trainers

If you grew up in Scotland, you'll know Halloween wasn't about trick-or-treating. It was about guising. You dressed up, chapped doors, and nobody gave you a thing until you'd earned it with a joke, a song or a poem.

The costumes were never fancy. A bin bag, a bit of face paint, your mum's old coat. And the lantern? Not a pumpkin. A hollowed-out neep that took three days, two blunt spoons and a small injury to carve, and smelled like soup for a week.

My all-time easiest costume took fifteen minutes. I'd completely forgotten about the Halloween party at Guides, and with the clock ticking, my mum grabbed a black bin bag and some white dots and some sellotape and turned me into a domino. No sewing, no shopping, no fuss. Just one clever idea and a mum who refused to panic. It's still one of the best costumes I've ever worn.

The point is, Scots have always known you don't need to spend a fortune to look the part. You just need one good idea. Which brings me, unsurprisingly, to shoelaces.

The Laziest Costume Upgrade You'll Ever Make

Here's my confession. I am not a costume person. Every year I mean to plan something brilliant, and every year it's 4pm on the 31st and I'm raking through the cupboard for a witch's hat I'm fairly sure went to the charity shop years ago.

But a swap of laces takes about two minutes, costs just £6 and instantly makes your trainers look like they're in on the joke. It works for the school run, the office party, the kids' disco and the golf club's fancy dress round.

Small change. Big impact. Even on Halloween.

Five Spooky Lace Combos (No Sewing Machine Required)

1. The Pumpkin Orange laces in one shoe, green in the other. Or, if you're feeling fancy, orange laces with a green bow tied at the top. Pair with an orange jumper and you're officially a pumpkin. Nobody needs to know it took you ninety seconds. (orange laces) (green laces)

2. The Witch Purple and lime green are the classic witchy combo. Black trainers make them pop even more. Add a broom from the shed and you're done. (purple laces) (green laces)

3. The Skeleton Crisp white laces on black trainers. Simple, striking and spooky in all the right ways. Bonus points for drawing bones on your hands with eyeliner. (white laces)

4. The Vampire Blood-red laces on black or white trainers. Dramatic, a wee bit sinister, and they look great long after Halloween too. (red laces)

5. The Zombie Mismatched laces. One colour in each shoe, as if you got dressed in the dark after rising from the grave. Honestly, this is just how I look on a Monday. (any two colours)

Want to Go One Step Further? Try a Two-Colour Lacing Pattern

If a straight swap feels too easy (show-off), try lacing two colours together. Orange and black in a criss-cross looks like something straight out of a haunted house, and it takes about five minutes.

Or have a look at our Lace Library, where every video shows one pattern, start to finish. More patterns are coming soon.

A Wee Word About Dark Nights

The clocks go back on 25 October, which means guisers, dog walkers and evening runners are suddenly out in the dark. Bright laces won't replace a proper reflective vest, but a flash of orange or lime on moving feet does help you get noticed. Pretty and practical. My favourite kind of thing.

And for the Golfers…

If your club runs a Halloween fancy dress round, I see you. You want to join in, but you also want to hit the ball. A full witch's cape on the first tee is a recipe for disaster. Spooky laces in your golf shoes are the perfect compromise: festive, fun, and absolutely no effect on your swing. You'll just have to blame your slice on something else.

Your Turn

Whether you're guising, golfing or just pretending you planned a costume, a wee lace swap is the easiest way to get into the spirit. And when November comes, those laces don't go in a cupboard with the face paint. They just keep making your trainers happier.

Shop the spooky shades here: Halloween collection

If you give one of these a go, tag us on @loveyourlaces.co.uk so I can see your creations. And if you've got a guising joke that's even worse than mine, I want to hear it.

Lindsay x