Are you looking for ways to up the ante of your footwear? If you’re planning to spend a fortune on the hottest sneakers in town, you better hold on to your money.

Your laces have a deeper meaning beyond the colors and designs, after all. They say something about your personality.

Thus, learning some unique ways to lace shoes can take your sneaker game to the next level.

But what are the different ways to lace shoes? Continue reading below for 14 ways to tie your shoes differently.

1. Winter Solstice Lacing

Winter solstice may not be one of the most useful lacing techniques, but it will certainly catch people’s attention. This technique tries to mimic the path of the sun during mid-winter.

To do this, insert the laces straight across on the inside and out via the bottom eyelets. You want both ends of the laces running straight up the sides. Also, you want them feeding in and out the eyelets alternately.

2. Gap Lacing

This technique creates a gap in the middle of the lacing system, providing flexibility for your ankles.

Start by straight crossing the inside of the eyelets and going out through the bottom. For every pair of eyelets, you want to cross the ends. Do so until the ends of the laces reach the area below your ankles.

Instead of crossing the laces, run the ends of the laces directly up the next layer of eyelets. This is where you create a gap. Upon reaching the next level, resume with your crisscrossing pattern.

3. Ladder Lacing

Begin by lacing up straight across on the inside section and again out through the bottom eyelets.

Run the ends straight up through the sides and through the next level of eyelets. For every eyelet level, you want the ends to cross the opposite side before going up.

4. One-Handed Lacing

Do you want a lacing technique where there is no need to tie a knot? Then the one-handed lacing system should do the trick.

Use a lace that is a tad shorter than a normal one measure. Tie a stopper knot on one end and feed the unknotted end from inside the top-right eyelet. Thereafter, pull the end of the lace until the knot stops it.

From there, start zigzagging the lace through the eyelets.

5. Ukrainian Lacing

This lacing system features a “captive” starting knot and permanently-anchored loose ends. This unique combination saves you from the hassle of re-tying the first knot.

To pull this off, perform a straight cross the way you do with gap lacing. However, you need to leave a long loop of slack shoelace on each side. About 4 inches should be enough.

Next, tie a starting knot in left-over-right fashion. You want to feed both ends through the second level of eyelets from the top. Thereafter, cross the ends and feed them through the next level of eyelets below.

Once you reach the bottom, tie a stopper knot on each side.

6. Lattice Lacing

To perform this interesting lacing system, begin at the bottom eyelet with a straight across on the outside and in. Run both ends up on the inside and out through the next level up.

You want to run the left end across the other side but three rows higher up. Do the same thing on the other end. Next, feed the end to the bottom vacant eyelet on the other side.

Cross both ends to create a diagonal lattice design in the middle.

7. Hiking/Biking Lacing

Start with a straight-across at the bottom eyelets. Let the left end run straight up on the outside and then straight across on the inside. Continue running upward skipping one eyelet per end.

Make sure to cross the laces with ends coming out via the adjacent eyelets. Stop as both ends of the lace reach the first and second eyelets on the same side.

8. Shoe Shop Lacing

This is how most shoe shops pre-lace their sneakers. Start at the bottom with a straight across on the outside. Make the left end of the lace run diagonally directly up the inside of the top right eyelet.

As for the right end, run it up diagonally, passing both the left and right eyelets until you reach the top.

9. Quick-Tight Lacing

Start at the bottom eyelet with a straight across on the outside and in. Run the left end diagonally across on the inside. Make the end pass through the middle eyelet on the right side.

Run it straight across the left middle eyelet and then proceed with a zigzag pattern up. Do the same with the other end of the lace.

10. Corset Lacing

Corset lacing features a double X pattern in the middle. This ties up in the center instead of the top. You can use this type of lacing on a traditional corset dress or for a creative spin on wedding dresses.

Begin with a straight across in and through the topmost eyelets. Cross on each eyelet as you go down. Stop after the fourth eyelet.

Create a long loop of slack show lace on both sides from the fourth to the fifth eyelets. Proceed with the alternating cross until you reach the bottom. Close the lacing with a permanent knot.

11. Army Lacing

Start lacing straight across at the bottom eyelets from the inside going out. Thereafter, you want to alternate between a crossover on the inside until you go out but on the next higher level of eyelets.

Do this on both sides of the laces until you reach the top.

12. Two-One-Three Lacing

This is easily one of the most unique ways to lace shoes. Your guide for this lacing system is your ankle area. Above and below your ankle, perform a basic criss-cross lacing pattern.

As for the eyelets on your ankle area, perform a 2-1-3 lacing pattern. Don’t hesitate to look for a detailed breakdown of the lacing pattern for the ankle.

13. Hill Valley Lacing

Start at the bottom eyelets with a straight across on the outside and in. Let one side of the lace run up on the inside and out on the other side. Make sure to create a small hill in the middle.

Take the other side of the lace and run it on the inside. Skip one eyelet and then pull out the end two eyelets higher. You want the lace to go under the hill you created, forming a loop.

14. NASA Lacing

This is one of the most interesting ways of customizing your shoes. Feed your lace at the bottom-left eyelet. Run one end straight up the next level eyelet up and then cross over to the next parallel eyelet.

The other end of the lace should follow the path of the other end, creating a snaking pattern. Continue the path until both ends meet.

Go Beyond Unique Ways to Lace Shoes

Through these unique ways to lace shoes, you can add a different twist to your current lineup of sneakers. And if these lacing styles are not enough, there are other ways to spice up your footwear.

Check out our different articles on shoes and fashion. We provide tips that will help you stand out with what you wear.