Often overlooked, the lacing step is essential for hiking safely and, above all, comfortably throughout the entire outing. Here's how to lace your hiking shoes.
The importance of lacing your shoes correctly
Choosing the best hiking shoes is only part of the equation — you also need to know how to use them correctly, which includes lacing them properly. Well-laced shoes prevent a whole range of comfort issues: friction if they're too loose, or discomfort and even pain if they're too tight. They also provide solid support for your foot and ankle — essential for your safety — and they won't come undone mid-route. Here's how to lace your hiking shoes correctly.
How do you lace your shoes properly?
Hiking shoes that are properly laced should hug the shape of your foot without exerting any pressure. Start by lacing the lower section of your shoes, adjusting the tension eyelet by eyelet so that the shoe fits snugly over your instep without crushing it or cutting off your circulation. Remember: comfort comes first, so always keep a degree of flexibility. If your foot feels like it's floating slightly inside the shoe despite tightening the laces, add a sole insert to fill the gap.
It's also important to keep some freedom of movement for your toes, to prevent them from being crushed against the front of the shoe. To do this, you can either put your shoes on with a slight incline (heel pointing downhill, toes pointing uphill) rather than on flat ground, or tap your heel firmly on the floor to seat it properly at the back of the shoe.
To make sure you hold the tension you've built up, finish lacing the lower section (below the ankle bone) with a locking knot. Do this at the base of the ankle, before moving on to lacing the upper section of the shoe at the collar. In fact, some shoes have a dedicated locking hook designed specifically to separate the lower and upper sections.
Finally, move to the upper section of the upper by threading your laces through the hooks — not from bottom to top, but from top to bottom. Why? This way you create more tension and avoid losing the tension built up in the lower part of your shoes. The laces are less likely to slip out of the hooks, and the final knot won't dig in during a descent, for example.
Finish lacing your shoes with a surgeon's knot — more secure than a double knot and easier to undo at the end of a hiking trip.
Check out our tips for cleaning and maintaining your walking shoes.
