Summary

The article discusses a common mistake in tying shoelaces and offers a simple solution to prevent them from coming undone.

Abstract

The article titled "You Are Tying Your Shoelaces All Wrong" humorously addresses the frustration of shoelaces frequently coming loose. It suggests that the traditional shoelace knot, also known as the granny knot, is flawed and introduces a modified technique to achieve a more secure and aesthetically pleasing knot. The author emphasizes that by altering the final step of the knot-tying process, individuals can enjoy shoes that stay tied longer, look neater, and contribute to a more confident and comfortable experience. The article also provides YouTube video links for visual demonstrations of the improved method and mentions a "super-fast" alternative technique. Additionally, the author promotes their other works and the benefits of joining Medium.

Opinions

The author believes that the traditional shoelace knot is suboptimal and leads to frequent untying.
They assert that the improved knot-tying method results in shoelaces that are more secure and aesthetically pleasing.
The article implies that presenting oneself neatly, including how one's shoelaces are tied, can have positive effects on personal confidence and social interactions.
The author expresses gratitude towards a contributor who shared a video link demonstrating an efficient shoelace-tying technique.
The author encourages readers to engage with their other content and to consider joining Medium to support writers and potentially earn money themselves.

REAL ADVICE + HUMOR

You Are Tying Your Shoelaces All Wrong

I wish I’d known this years ago

How many times have your shoelaces come loose?

More times than you have had hot buttered toast, I’ll bet. If you had £1 for every time you had to bend down and do them up again, you wouldn’t mind. But nobody gives you money for sorting the hash you made of the job — not unless you are living in Fantasy Tieland.

The stupid thing we do — at least I do — is when our shoelaces come loose, we bend down and tie them exactly the same way again, the way we were taught. What’s the saying?

“Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

You’re doing it wrong

The traditional shoelace knot or granny knot is the most common way of tying shoelaces. It’s a simple knot:

Over, under, around and through, meet Mr Bunny Rabbit, pull and through.

And it’s wrong.

Whaddayamean?

When I say ‘wrong’, I mean ‘slightly wrong’.

It is easy to fix.

And when you fix it:

Your shoelaces are going to look peachy. The lace will run across your shoe horizontally — very neat and tidy. When you look smart, you feel more confident. When you feel more confident, you get the girl, the job and the promotion.
Your shoelaces are going to be more secure. They won’t come undone, you won’t go down on one knee to tie them and your girlfriend won’t think you are proposing; so she says ‘yes’ and you have to marry her, buy a house and have three kids.
Your shoes will be more comfortable. They won’t come loose and flop about and you won’t resort to tucking the laces into the shoe — like those three kids of mine.

The fix

Most people start with a left-over-right and then a finishing knot. Instead of running the right lace over the front of the loop, switch it to run the loop over the back of the loop.

Et Voila — simple.

Still not got it?

Here’s a nice guy from YouTube to explain it:

He’s keen, isn’t he?

He even has a shoe on his shirt!

And a big thanks to Ann Leach who provided the link to another YouTube video and a super-fast way to tie shoelaces.

If you want to tie yourself to Malky’s other articles you can read more here or get an email when Malky publishes. And if you haven’t joined Medium, you can support Malky and other writers or earn money yourself by joining here.