If you've never thought about it before, now might be a good time to consider how you lace up your shoes. It's something we often do on autopilot before a run, but have you ever wondered what those extra holes at the top of your shoe were for?
There are a surprising number of ways you can tie your shoes and I have set out a few options below:
1. Heel slipping
This is where those extra eyelets at the top of your shoe come into play. If you find your heels are slipping there's a way to do up your laces to create a tight finish that provides your ankle with more support but doesn't make the rest of your shoe too tight. Known commonly as a "Heel Lock" this is where you lace your shoes as normal until the second-to-last hole. Then use your lace on your left side and go straight to the last hole, to create a loop on that side. Do the same with your right.
Now that you have a loop on both sides, cross your laces and insert them into the loop on the opposite side of the shoe. Then tie up and you have created your very own heel lock!
2. High arches
If you have high arches and find the mid section of your shoe a bit tight, there's a way to alleviate this. Lace your shoe normally with a crisscross at the start, then thread the laces only through the sides (around the middle of your shoe where your arch is) and then continue to lace up with crisscrosses as you normally would. This should alleviate that feeling of tightness by giving you a bit more room where you need it.
3. Wide forefoot
I have very wide feet and having some extra space for my forefeet can be helpful. Lace up your shoes by threading the shoelace only through the sides, then from about midway up your foot, use your regular crisscrosses.
4. There are a number of other options out there if you have issues with toe pain, narrow feet, tight shoes... if you're struggling, while lace tricks can be helpful, a good rule of thumb to keep in mind when buying shoes is to keep thumb’s width of room between the end of your big (or longest) toe and the front of the shoe. You need to give yourself some wiggle room especially with all of the impact that comes with running. I also find my feet swell up when I run so I tend to buy my running shoes about a size to a size and a half larger than my regular shoes.