How to Tie Your Shoes in the Right Manner

STEP 1 You can tie the starting knot by passing the left lace over the right (shown at left), or by wrapping right over left. Either method can yield a balanced knot or a granny knot—it depends on what you do afterward.

STEP 2 Next you make a loop with the right lace (shown at left) or the left. Either choice can yield a balanced knot or a granny knot—independent of which starting knot you made. It comes down to what you do next.

STEP 3 Then you circle the other lace around the loop you just made—either in front or in back of the loop. The right choice depends upon how you did steps 1 and 2. (In the knot shown at left, back is correct.) To see the proper last step that matches your technique, consult the chart at right.

Check if you tie right

BALANCED KNOT

If properly tied with a reef knot, your shoelace bow should sit sideways across the shoe.

UNBALANCED KNOT

If you instead tie a granny knot, your shoelace bow will probably twist to become angled or perpendicular.