How to Lace Running Shoes (to Make Your Running Shoes More Comfortable)

The right lacing fixes a specific problem. Heel slip, a wide forefoot, a high arch, and pressure on top of the foot each have a different fix. Match the technique to your issue instead of just pulling the laces tighter.

Most running shoes ship with one basic crisscross pattern. It works for plenty of runners. But if your heel lifts or the shoe feels tight across the top, a different pattern often fixes it without new shoes.

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Problem to fix it

• Heel slips or rubs: use the runner’s loop (heel lock).
• Laces loosen mid-run: switch your knot to a reef knot.
• Pressure or pain on top of the foot: try window lacing.
• Wide forefoot or high arch: skip the eyelets over the tight spot.
• Tired of retying: try no-tie elastic laces on Amazon.

Lacing changes the tension and fit across the top of your shoe. It will not fix a shoe that is the wrong size or shape. Check how running shoes should fit first if you suspect the real issue is sizing, not lacing.

Runner’s loop: lock your heel in place

If your heel lifts inside the shoe, your foot slides and the toes can rub against the front of the shoe. The runner’s loop locks the heel down without tightening the rest of the shoe.

1. Lace the shoe normally, crossing the laces, until you reach the second eyelet from the top.
2. Skip the cross. Instead, thread each lace end straight up through the top eyelet on its own side to form a small loop on each side.
3. Cross each lace end over and feed it through the loop on the opposite side.
4. Pull both ends to tighten the loops snug against the top of the shoe. This is what locks the heel.
5. Tie off as you normally would.

Reef knot: a knot that won’t loosen

Most people tie either a reef knot or a granny knot without knowing the difference. A reef knot tightens as you run. A granny knot loosens, which is why some laces feel fine at the start of a run and floppy by the end.

Test which one you tie. Tie your normal bow, then grab the top loops and pull sideways. If the bow twists so one loop points down instead of out to the side, that is a granny knot. If both loops stay pointing out at right angles to the shoe, that is a reef knot.

To convert a granny knot into a reef knot, change direction on the second loop only.

1. Cross the laces and form the first loop the way you always do.
2. On the second loop, reverse the direction. If you normally pass the lace over the loop, pass it under instead, or the other way around.
3. Pull tight and run the pull test again to confirm.

Window lacing: relieve pressure on top of the foot

Also called box lacing, this technique removes lace pressure from one specific spot on top of your foot. It is the fix for a bruised or sensitive area that a normal crisscross pattern presses on directly.

1. Unlace down to the eyelet just below the sore spot.
2. Run the lace straight up to the next eyelet on the same side, skipping the cross over the sore spot entirely.
3. Cross the laces again above that point and finish lacing normally.

The same skip-the-eyelet idea works for a wide forefoot or a high arch. Leave out whichever eyelet sits over the widest or highest part of your foot, and the lace stops pressing on it.

When lacing alone won’t fix it

Lacing changes tension and pressure points. It cannot add length or change the shape of a shoe that is genuinely too small, too narrow, or too wide for your foot. If you have already tried the techniques above and still get blisters, numbness, or pain, the shoe itself is likely the wrong size.

Brands also fit differently from each other, which is worth checking before you blame your lacing. If you are still breaking in a recent purchase, read how to break in a new pair before you decide the fit is wrong.

If retying after every run is the real annoyance rather than fit, elastic laces remove that step. You set the tension once and leave it.

The bottom line

Match the technique to the problem. Use the runner’s loop for heel slip and a reef knot for laces that loosen. Try window lacing for pressure on top of the foot, and skip eyelets for a wide or high-arched foot.

If none of these fix the discomfort, the shoe is probably the wrong size or shape rather than a lacing problem. In that case it’s worth trying a different model. You can shop running shoes on Amazon to compare current options.