I've been tying my shoes using the Ian knot for years (decades??) now. Makes your laces sit a bit funny compared to regular, but my shoes never come untied by accident. Highly recommend trying it out if you have this problem even occasionally. Once you have the muscle memory down, it's a nice minor life upgrade.
Makes your laces sit a bit funny compared to regular
The 'sit a bit funny' issue is the classic symptom of 'the granny knot'.
If you have inadvertently been tying granny knots, you may notice:
1) Instead of the bows hanging to the sides, they naturally want to hang along the length of your show (one pointing diagonally away from you, and the other diagonally towards you).
2) Your shoelaces get undone often, unless you do a double knot.
The fix (whether you tie your bow using the regular way, bunny ears, or Ian Knot) is to reverse the direction of your initial knot.
If you watch this video I made, you will see that the Ian Knot (when done according to the instructions on Ian's site) results in the laces sit just how they should: https://youtu.be/JaBmehtalAY
> The fix (whether you tie your bow using the regular way, bunny ears, or Ian Knot) is to reverse the direction of your initial knot.
Far too many people say that you need to reverse the direction of your main knot. This also works, of course, but it's way more difficult to unlearn then relearn the main knot. Far easier to change the direction of the initial knot. When I first learn the Ian Knot I quickly discovered I'd learnt it "backwards". So I reversed the initial knot and I've been tying it that way for close to 20 years now.
I never mastered the most common single loop method; it never made sense to me to have an asymmetrical way to tie a symmetrical knot, so I used the bunny ears with two loops, until I learned about the Ian knot with zero loops, and it's a very easy and quick way to tie your shoes.
The resulting knot is the same with all of them, however. Either the regular knot or the granny knot, depending on how you do them.
It is the best way to tie shoelaces (and similarly knotted things). It takes a while to get used to, but it’s so worth it. It works! Unlike every other shoelace knot you’ve ever tied.
I’ve used this site twice, most recently last week for Lock Lacing. I had to upsize my Fuego dance shoes because they don't come in wide sizes. Consequently the heels were slightly loose; everything else was fine. Customer service recommended Lock Lacing which worked and tightened the heel ever so slightly but enough.
I found this looking for a more secure knot (I did; Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot). What I wasn't expecting was how strange it would be to be as skilled at tying my shoelaces as a four-year-old.
I have been using the Secure variant for the last 10 years. It's effective, in that time my shoelaces have become loose precisely zero times, even though the knot is otherwise easy to untie.
I started using the Berluti knot last year, and it has never failed me. It takes a bit longer to tie, but it has never failed me. It is also easy to get undone without making another knot out of itself.
The Secure variant seems to be a slightly easier/quicker knot. I might give it a try. :)
> I also have to admit that it’s really not the best for small knots or when having to knot with limited lace, mostly due to the required finger setup.
On the other hand, when the length of lace is limited and you need to maintain tension (e.g. wrapping gifts, tying ice skates) the Ian knot is better than many other methods. Although nobody ever asked, I imagine every onlooker is wondering how I can maintain tension in the lace without asking someone else to put a finger on the first overhand knot. It's because of my finger placement when I tie the knot!
A few years ago I discovered that many brands (but I like Skechers) make "hands-free" shoes, with no laces or velcro, just hidden elastic, and a stiff heel so that you can literally step into your shoes and walk away without ever touching them. They actually fit better than laced shoes.
If you prefer a non-disposable shoe, look into Chelsea boots made using a Goodyear welt, such as from one of the many shoemakers in the Northampton area of England. A pair if taken care of will last you a lifetime.
I like Cheaney and Crocket & Jones. Church's is popular but a little overpriced compared to the others. The classic Chelsea boot has a leather sole but both Cheaney and Crocket & Jones make them with rubber soles which are much more hard wearing. Crocket & Jones make them with Dainite soles which last years and cope with all weathers.
Expect to pay £400-450 for a new pair (more in London) and remember to get some conditioning cream like Saphir Crème which is to be used regularly. You can wax them if you like but not necessary for caring purposes. When the soles finally go you can get them resoled at the factory they were made in for around £100 (less than a pair of trainers). My Dainite soles have lasted over 3 years of daily use.
If you are close to the area you can go to their factory shops and often find shoes with slight imperfections for half the price.
I haven't mastered the Ian's knot (the super fast one) yet, but I've been tying the "Ian's Secure Knot" [1] for years. I try to teach parents on my kid's soccer team as well, because in my experience, half use the "standard shoelace knot" which is mediocre at staying tied, and the other half tie the granny version of the same, which comes out in about 5 minutes.
This seems very much like the kind of thing that a kid probably learns and is drilled on in late preschool in Japan, and given how much time must be wasted daily by even grown adults re-tying shoes it makes me wish we taught kids practical skills like this. (Yes, I know scouts learn knot-tying in general, but a lot of kids don't even get to do scouting).
P.S. to be honest, I've started buying and installing the sets of elastic laces with buckles (they're only a couple bucks) every time I get a new pair of shoes, so I don't tie shoes anymore, except for things like soccer cleats.
> Yes, I know scouts learn knot-tying in general, but a lot of kids don't even get to do scouting
But do knot scouts learn to tie their shoes correctly? I never did scouting but I have done sailing, and was interested in knot tying as a kid, but shoe tying wasn't given much attention. They certainly told us how to tie a reef/square knot properly, but no one looked at our shoes even though half of us did it wrong. In most books, you had the standard shoe tie if you are lucky, but nothing more.
Ian seems to be the only one who takes shoe tying seriously, even though it may be the most tied knot in the world. I have the Ashley Book of Knots, widely considered the reference on knot tying, if a little dated, and shoe tying only occupies a single page out of 600. Interestingly, a knot analogous to the "Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot" is mentioned (#1219) but despite being, I think, the best in the book, its existence is merely acknowledged.
I use the two loop knot.. The beauty of this knot is that it doesnt come undone as easily and i can remove/wear my shoes without entying shoelaces. It has come undone only 3-4 times in past 2 years for me. Very effective
If you have trouble with toe nail trauma (all chipped for instance) check out heel lock lacing. It will prevent your toes to hit against the front of the shoes.
One example here [0] for running shoes but it's useful also for normal walking. Ian of course has his own entry about this [1]
I found this to be incredibly helpful for blister prevention. Only downside is your laces have to be pretty long since this takes up a couple more inches on each side.
Ian's knot saved me some time in the past decade or so.
Is there a knot with two settings for tying and releasing? Releasing it to a point that allows taking off the shoe and pulling somewhere else to fix it firmly again?
It must be adjustable because laces get longer over time.
I was in my teens when I discovered this site. I am now forty. I have been tying my shoes quicker than the average person literally for the better half of my life.
It’s a static catalog. Where’s the money in that? We need to activate the analysis of the database of widgets, to know our inventory availability. Great, huh? How about we turn that and see who’s online and then maximize our ordering function to the overstock? Great! Rinse, repeat, profit! Everyone and everything is an asset to be tracked and managed in real time through our gated and ungated websites, apps and assets… Shop-A-Tron!
If you read his support page it's apparent why not. This is a labor of love which he can still hardly keep afloat after trying a variety of income sources such as ads and direct sponsorships.
I've devoted two decades of mostly altruistic labors to the niche topic of shoelaces. I spend probably 60 hours a week continuously improving this website, answering visitors' questions, solving their shoelace problems – even granting permission for my material to be re-used by other educators.
All of this effort earns me less than 1/5 of the Australian National Minimum Wage.
I'm thinking of calling this my “Million Dollar Website” – not because it's worth a million dollars but because it has cost me a million dollars compared to what I could have earned at a regular job (based on an average Australian annual wage of $50,000 × 25+ years).
Any support that you can give will be gratefully accepted and warmly appreciated.
Back in 2004, while bored in my college dorm, I learned the Ian Knot from this site. I've used it ever since. A few weeks ago, my 10 year old decided it was time to learn how to tie his shoes "dad's way". I was pleasantly surprised to see the site was still up, so I used it to help teach him how to do it.
I also learned it back in 2004 and it was one of the single most useful skills I have ever acquired. My shoes never come untied anymore. Coaching baseball, when a kid's shoe comes untied, I re-tie it for them with the Ian knot. Life changing skill.
Also been exclusively Ian Knot every since. Lightening fast and consistent.
Funny anecdote: In college when I learned it, the woman I was with was leaving my place and when she was putting on her shoes I said "wait I gotta show you something" and dropped to one knee to tie my shoes. She looked terrified until I clarified it was my tying my shoes quickly and not a proposal.
I've tried a couple of these "better" shoe tying knots and have never had the patience to learn them to the point they become habitual. So I can spend 2 seconds tying a shoelace the way I learned when I was 5 years old, or I can spend 5 minutes fumbling with some other knot. I go with what works for me. Optimizing the time I spend tying my shoes just isn't anywhere on the radar of things that would have a worthwhile ROI.
Amongst all of the technological advances available to us, tying my shoes using the Ian Knot is the one thing that will get people to accuse me of witchcraft.
It always brings a smile to my face when it gets posted. I’ve used it to learn ways of lacing shoes, but it’s not even about that, it’s a reminder of what the internet used to be.
My advice is to use paracord for shoelaces. It's cheap, lasts forever, can be cut to any length, ties well, etc. It lasts so long you can take it off your old worn shoes and put it on your new shoes. I find that the shoelaces that come with shoes typically don't last very long, are too short, etc.
I've made a couple with the Kumihimo technique, using cheap embroidery thread. The texture is similar to paracord, but you get your own pick of colors and patterns. I'm surprised at how durable they are.
The lug bowtie and lug knotted styles can be combined to leave an area with almost no pressure on it. It's useful if you find yourself with an injured foot on day two of a long hike.
I love this site so much. I learned that there are two typologies of shoelace knots -- one falls apart instantly (https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/grannyknot.htm), and the other is as secure as a double knot. I also learned the fast way to tie shoes, https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/ianknot.htm. The latter is fun, I have used it every day for decades and people are always amazed when you teach them.
Unlike most normal people in the world, I was never taught how to tie shoelaces. And not because my parents and siblings did not try; but because I was too obstinate and wanted to do it my way! Needless to say I implemented a complicated knot that takes way too long and and a source of mockery. But it is my knot and I like it.
bartonfink | a day ago
tomhow | 22 hours ago
Dusseldorf | a day ago
justinsaccount | a day ago
hinkley | a day ago
rahimnathwani | a day ago
If you have inadvertently been tying granny knots, you may notice:
1) Instead of the bows hanging to the sides, they naturally want to hang along the length of your show (one pointing diagonally away from you, and the other diagonally towards you).
2) Your shoelaces get undone often, unless you do a double knot.
The fix (whether you tie your bow using the regular way, bunny ears, or Ian Knot) is to reverse the direction of your initial knot.
If you watch this video I made, you will see that the Ian Knot (when done according to the instructions on Ian's site) results in the laces sit just how they should: https://youtu.be/JaBmehtalAY
globular-toast | 21 hours ago
Far too many people say that you need to reverse the direction of your main knot. This also works, of course, but it's way more difficult to unlearn then relearn the main knot. Far easier to change the direction of the initial knot. When I first learn the Ian Knot I quickly discovered I'd learnt it "backwards". So I reversed the initial knot and I've been tying it that way for close to 20 years now.
mcv | 23 hours ago
The resulting knot is the same with all of them, however. Either the regular knot or the granny knot, depending on how you do them.
ctmnt | a day ago
ChrisArchitect | a day ago
2023 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37646964
"Secure" 2024 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=42155457
"Ian" 2021 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27728002
"Granny" 2021 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26867300
"CIA" 2020 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=24091391
CalChris | a day ago
dehrmann | a day ago
jwiz | 23 hours ago
beej71 | a day ago
endgame | a day ago
zarzavat | a day ago
torh | 23 hours ago
The Secure variant seems to be a slightly easier/quicker knot. I might give it a try. :)
sockaddr | a day ago
danielskogly | 23 hours ago
https://blog.klungo.no/2025/12/31/two-years-of-the-ian-knot/
kqr | 21 hours ago
On the other hand, when the length of lace is limited and you need to maintain tension (e.g. wrapping gifts, tying ice skates) the Ian knot is better than many other methods. Although nobody ever asked, I imagine every onlooker is wondering how I can maintain tension in the lace without asking someone else to put a finger on the first overhand knot. It's because of my finger placement when I tie the knot!
danielskogly | 21 hours ago
Definitely a neat time-save, even more so if the person you'd otherwise have to ask is far away or busy and the wait would've extra been long!
tigerlily | 20 hours ago
LeoPanthera | 22 hours ago
Changed my life. I recommend highly.
globular-toast | 21 hours ago
lostlogin | 20 hours ago
Any recommended brands?
marliechiller | 18 hours ago
globular-toast | 17 hours ago
Expect to pay £400-450 for a new pair (more in London) and remember to get some conditioning cream like Saphir Crème which is to be used regularly. You can wax them if you like but not necessary for caring purposes. When the soles finally go you can get them resoled at the factory they were made in for around £100 (less than a pair of trainers). My Dainite soles have lasted over 3 years of daily use.
If you are close to the area you can go to their factory shops and often find shoes with slight imperfections for half the price.
xp84 | 21 hours ago
This seems very much like the kind of thing that a kid probably learns and is drilled on in late preschool in Japan, and given how much time must be wasted daily by even grown adults re-tying shoes it makes me wish we taught kids practical skills like this. (Yes, I know scouts learn knot-tying in general, but a lot of kids don't even get to do scouting).
P.S. to be honest, I've started buying and installing the sets of elastic laces with buckles (they're only a couple bucks) every time I get a new pair of shoes, so I don't tie shoes anymore, except for things like soccer cleats.
1. https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/secureknot.htm
GuB-42 | 20 hours ago
But do knot scouts learn to tie their shoes correctly? I never did scouting but I have done sailing, and was interested in knot tying as a kid, but shoe tying wasn't given much attention. They certainly told us how to tie a reef/square knot properly, but no one looked at our shoes even though half of us did it wrong. In most books, you had the standard shoe tie if you are lucky, but nothing more.
Ian seems to be the only one who takes shoe tying seriously, even though it may be the most tied knot in the world. I have the Ashley Book of Knots, widely considered the reference on knot tying, if a little dated, and shoe tying only occupies a single page out of 600. Interestingly, a knot analogous to the "Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot" is mentioned (#1219) but despite being, I think, the best in the book, its existence is merely acknowledged.
imgabe | 14 hours ago
verse | 21 hours ago
I remember showing my friends at school. They were shocked how fast I could tie my shoelaces.
I don't even remember the normal way you're supposed to tie them
I guess I just googled "how to x" for literally everything when I was a kid
raaron773 | 21 hours ago
ndr | 20 hours ago
One example here [0] for running shoes but it's useful also for normal walking. Ian of course has his own entry about this [1]
[0] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBbc6TackDQ&t=68s [1] https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/locklacing.htm
apparent | 11 hours ago
mrtx01 | 20 hours ago
Is there a knot with two settings for tying and releasing? Releasing it to a point that allows taking off the shoe and pulling somewhere else to fix it firmly again?
It must be adjustable because laces get longer over time.
beeforpork | 20 hours ago
orthoxerox | 18 hours ago
zkmon | 18 hours ago
xtiansimon | 17 hours ago
windthrown | 12 hours ago
https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/support.htm
Why Support Ian?
I've devoted two decades of mostly altruistic labors to the niche topic of shoelaces. I spend probably 60 hours a week continuously improving this website, answering visitors' questions, solving their shoelace problems – even granting permission for my material to be re-used by other educators.
All of this effort earns me less than 1/5 of the Australian National Minimum Wage.
I'm thinking of calling this my “Million Dollar Website” – not because it's worth a million dollars but because it has cost me a million dollars compared to what I could have earned at a regular job (based on an average Australian annual wage of $50,000 × 25+ years).
Any support that you can give will be gratefully accepted and warmly appreciated.
allarm | an hour ago
salty-horse | 18 hours ago
AndrewHampton | 17 hours ago
bcjordan | 16 hours ago
oldandboring | 14 hours ago
rahimnathwani | 13 hours ago
If you noticed a change after you switched knots, you might have been inadvertently creating granny knots:
https://www.fieggen.com/shoelace/grannyknot.htm
jjice | 13 hours ago
Funny anecdote: In college when I learned it, the woman I was with was leaving my place and when she was putting on her shoes I said "wait I gotta show you something" and dropped to one knee to tie my shoes. She looked terrified until I clarified it was my tying my shoes quickly and not a proposal.
avanai | 13 hours ago
emsixteen | 12 hours ago
elcaro | 5 hours ago
SoftTalker | 12 hours ago
jimmydddd | 11 hours ago
Sparkle-san | 12 hours ago
squiggy22 | 16 hours ago
turzmo | 15 hours ago
jgwil2 | 15 hours ago
GuB-42 | 15 hours ago
That's the reason I am here ;)
SoftTalker | 12 hours ago
xattt | 12 hours ago
extraduder_ire | 8 hours ago
https://hn.algolia.com/?query=fieggen.com
ghtbircshotbe | 15 hours ago
bluedel | 14 hours ago
gmoore | 15 hours ago
strken | 14 hours ago
jrockway | 14 hours ago
rubslopes | 14 hours ago
I remember downloading the iOS app on my iPod Touch and being able to create your own lace pattern by dragging your fingers. Incredible stuff!
I'm very happy that the website is still up and running, preserving the same aesthetic as it had years ago.
mlmonkey | 14 hours ago
meowzor | 14 hours ago
mistyvales | 13 hours ago
m000 | 13 hours ago