Shoe Lacing for Problem Feet and Better Shoe Fit
The way you lace your shoes can help overcome many problems, especially heel slippage, narrow feet, high arch, or wide forefoot.
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Many people have trouble keeping their heel in the heel cup of the shoe. To keep it from slipping, lace your shoes to form a "lace lock" at the top of your shoe. This will allow you to tie the shoe tightly at the top without narrowing the fit for the rest of the shoe.Lace up from the bottom of the next to last eyelet, then over and down through the top eyelet. Do the same for the other side. Now lace through the opposite "bunny ear" you formed between those two eyelets. Now when you tie your shoe, you can get a good tight fit at the ankle but keep it loose over the rest of the top of the foot.
Narrow Foot
If your shoe has two sets of eyelets on each side, lace through the ones furthest from the tongue. This will draw the two sides of the shoe together more snugly.
If that is not enough, then use the "lace lock" as with the heel slippage, only between the second and third eyelet. This keeps the laces from loosening.
Wide Foot/High Instep
If the shoe has two sets of eyelets on each side, lace through the set closest to the tongue.
For more room, use the over and under technique pictured. This will give space for expansion, and tightening the laces won't overly tighten the fit.
Narrow Heel, Wide Forefoot
This foot type is always frustrated - if the heel fits, the forefoot is too narrow, if the forefoot fits, the heel slips around. The answer is in two sets of laces. You should buy two shorter laces and lace the bottom 3 eyelets with one lace and the top eyelets with another lace. For a good heel fit with no slippage, use the lace lock technique at the top.
Still don't have a good fit, or are sore feet a problem? The next step is to inserts and arch supports.
Next page > Shoe Inserts > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
