by Cynthia Nelson

Created on: April 23, 2008

Tying your shoes is one skill that is learned early in life and is taken for granted. It is a task that we perform almost daily without really thinking about it. However, for a small child, it is a great accomplishment to be able to tie your own shoes. When I was a child, I did not learn how to tie my shoes until I was seven years old because I wore mostly Mary Jane style shoes and shoes with straps. After owning a pair of sneakers and much practice, I learned how to efficiently tie my shoes.

Everyone has their own way of tying their shoes. Some choose not to tie their shoes at all by loosening the laces so that the ends don't hit the floor. Some people go a step further and only buy shoes that are slip-on or are fastened by Velcro.

For those who want to tie your shoes, here are some basic steps:

1. Make sure that the shoelaces are inserted in the shoe correctly. This is how you can determine if your shoes are laced up correctly-when you have finished lacing up the shoe, are the ends of the shoelaces even?
If not, redo the shoelaces so that they are of equal length.

2. Pull on both ends of the shoelaces so that the shoe fits snugly on your foot. Make sure that you don't pull the shoelaces so tight that your shoe feels uncomfortable.

3. Take the ends of the shoelaces and cross one over the over, then take the shoelace that is in the back and wrap it around the shoelace in the front. Pull on both ends until the shoelace is taut.

4. Hold the ends of the shoelaces together to determine which one is shorter. Then, take the shorter shoelace and make a loop.

5. With one hand, hold on to the loop you just made, and take the shoelace that is longer and wrap it around the loop. At the bottom of the loop where both shoelaces meet, pull the shoelace through. This should create a bow.

6. If you don't want your shoelaces to untie easily, you can double knot them by placing one end of the bow over the other and pulling the end that is in the back through.

7. If you are unsuccessful in tying your shoes, repeat steps 1-6.

If you follow these steps, you should be able to tie your shoes like a pro. These steps that I have provided are a guideline and don't have be followed religiously, as long as you achieve results that are satisfactory to you. Remember, an untied shoe is an accident waiting to happen because you can trip on your own shoelaces. This can cause embarrassment, and it could also cause serious injury, so keep your shoes tied up.

Learn more about this author, Cynthia Nelson.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.