10 Shoelace Styles That Make Your Trainers Look Brand New
👟 Same Trainers. Completely Different Look.
10 Shoelace Styles That Make Your Trainers Look Brand New
Before you spend money on a new pair of trainers, try this first - change how you lace them. It sounds almost too simple, but different lacing styles can completely transform how a trainer looks and feels, and it takes less than two minutes. Here are ten worth knowing about.
1. Criss-cross - the classic
This is how most of us lace our shoes without even thinking about it, and there's a reason it's stood the test of time. It's secure, reliable and suits virtually every trainer. If it ain't broke - although some of the styles below might make you reconsider!
2. Straight bar lacing - the premium look (we use it alot on our own images)
Instead of the diagonal crossovers you normally see, straight bar lacing runs the flat laces horizontally across the shoe with no visible crossing. The result is incredibly clean and minimal - it makes any trainer look more expensive and intentional. This is the one that gets the most comments.
3. Ladder lacing - the statement style
Ladder lacing creates a series of vertical lines up the shoe, giving a bold, structured, almost military-inspired look. It takes a little more time to set up but the effect is genuinely striking and very different from anything most people have seen before.
4. Loose casual lacing
A deliberately relaxed, slightly undone style that suits oversized trainers and laid-back outfits perfectly. Think vintage vibes and effortless cool rather than polished and precise. Works brilliantly on chunky trainers with patterned laces.
5. Heel lock lacing
This one is less about looks and more about function - though it does both well. An extra loop at the top eyelet locks your heel firmly in place, which is brilliant for running, golf or any activity where heel slipping is an issue. Once you've tried it you won't go back.
6. Hidden knot lacing
The knot is tied on the underside of the tongue so it's completely invisible from the outside. The result is a beautifully sleek finish - perfect if you like a very clean, minimal aesthetic with no bulky bow disrupting the look.
7. Wide foot lacing
If your shoes feel tight across the forefoot, this is for you. By lacing more vertically rather than diagonally, you create noticeably more room across the widest part of the foot without needing to size up. Simple but genuinely effective.
8. Zig-zag lacing
A more exaggerated, graphic version of the classic criss-cross that creates a bold diagonal pattern up the shoe. Great for sporty styles and colourful laces where you want the lacing itself to be part of the design.
9. Colour swap - not a technique, but just as powerful
Strictly speaking this isn't a lacing style, but it deserves a place on this list because the impact is huge. Swap your plain white laces for something bold and colourful and your trainers become a completely different shoe. This one change is actually how Love Your Laces came to exist - four separate people at my golf club stopped to compliment my coloured laces, and here we are!
10. Mixed lacing - for the adventurous
Different styles on each shoe, or mixed patterns and colours across the same pair. This one is purely for personality and fun - it's bold, it's playful, and it guarantees you'll stand out. Not for the faint-hearted, but absolutely brilliant when done right.
Most people wear their trainers the same way every single day without ever experimenting. But a small change to how you lace them - or what you lace them with - can make a bigger difference than you'd ever expect.