Ian's Shoelace Site
Fun, fashion & science in the Internet's #1 website about shoelaces – and home of the Ian Knot, the world's fastest shoelace knot. If you want to lace shoes, tie shoes or learn about shoelaces – this is the place!
Welcome!
G'day everyone, Ian Fieggen here, also known as “Professor Shoelace”. I'm a real human living in Melbourne, Australia. This website has no AI content – it's all built with “HI” (Human Intelligence) plus “HE” (Human Effort) over more than two decades. In other words, it's all “HE HI” and no “HO HUM”.
Welcome to “Ian's Shoelace Site” – made by one human, for all humans.
Table of Contents
Contains over 100 × step-by-step shoe lacing tutorials, over 2,800 × shoe lacing photos, plus the interactive “Create-a-Lace” for designing your own lacing.
Contains 25 × shoelace knots (including my world's fastest “Ian Knot”), plus info on tying correctly so that they sit straight and stay securely tied – yet can be untied without jamming.
Heaps of knowledge about shoelaces, including their construction, length calculations – even what the tips are called, as well as Ian's interviews, articles, Q&As and more.
Information about this website and the site's author, Ian Fieggen – including Ian's contact details. Also info on this site's sponsors plus ways that you, too, can support Ian.
Looking for something? This website has more than 300 pages – which can be daunting to wade through! Search the whole of Ian's Shoelace Site using Google Custom Search.
Today's Photo
08-Jul-2026
Today's pic from the archives was contributed by Annette in May-2009.
Black & white Nike Air Force 1s with pink trim laced with checkered pink & black Hash Lacing.
Seventh of thirteen pictures of Annette's sneakers.
What's New?
Updated “Shoelaces As Seen In The News”
18-Jun-2026 – Added another 15 × shoelace news stories from 2025, featuring an airplane crash, a car burglar, a lawsuit, murders, celebrities, sportsmen, surgery – even a robot!
18-Jun-2026 – After 20 years of using Google ads to help pay the bills, these have finally been removed – thanks to an increase in visitors supporting me with donations.
Updated “Shoelaces As Seen In The News”
25-Apr-2026 – Added 17 × shoelace news stories from 2025, featuring accidents, airline passengers, an angry bird, goats, performance art, spaghetti, sportsmen – even a president.
Updated “Shoelace Construction”
17-Apr-2026 – Added gallery of shoelaces braided with different braid patterns that are available via my website's sponsors.
28-Mar-2026 – Changed to more accessible braid pattern icons, plus added separate spools to visualise braiding machine setup.
Recent Visitor Feedback
My boots feel a lot better now, thank you.
– William H., USA, Jul-2026
Thanks for the secure knot! My shoes haven’t come untied in months.
– Elizabeth H., USA, Jun-2026
I am now doing the same knot [Ian's Secure Knot] on my pajamas, sunhat neck tie and many others since I learned about it 2 weeks ago. I also attempt to teach it to a friend's family with kids ranging from 5yo to 30yo, and am glad to help spread it. Feedback: the kids seemed to care less about secure and want fast – one of them surely had to be the Ian's Fastest knot. I am sure he didn't know its name but he was very proud to show off his fast fingers.
– Yilitizi Y., Jun-2026
I only recently discovered your website and I am a huge fan of the information presented, as well as the general vibe of it all. I have laced my mid top sneakers with elastic laces using the hiking/biking lacing for the best slip-on experience for bicycle commuting.
– Parker L., Minnesota, USA, Jun-2026
Love the website been using it for a while now everytime I get a new pair of shoes or laces I immediately go on there and look for a couple designs I like and I love the knowledge on the website on shoes and the various parts of laces very helpful website.
– Trey M., Jun-2026
Some time ago, I saw online a way to tie shoelaces in 1 second. I was amazed at how simple and fast that method was. A few days ago I discovered your website from https://www.pointlesssites.com/ and I am amazed. For a long time I was confused on why I had to tie my shoes multiple times a day and now I no longer tie Granny Knots. I am really thankful for your work.
– David, Romania, Jun-2026
...thought i would email to say thanks for your locking knot, which i have used for well over ten years on my tennis shoes, and have shared with countless others
– i always wanted to send it to rafael nadel too, and all the other pros who seemed to not be able to keep their shoes under control!
...
my youngest daughter says it is possibly over 20 years since i taught her how to tie it for netball!
– Ian P., New Zealand, Jun-2026
Nothing much to say, except that I found your site 15 or 20 years ago, and have been tying my shoes with a “surgeon's knot” ever since (I don't think it's come undone a single time since then). I can also do a pretty magical looking Ian's knot (but that's mostly just for fun, haha).
It's a fine example of how a simple bit of knowledge that can an outsized and lasting impact on your life.
I try to (gently) spread the knowledge around too, especially when I see someone I know tying a double knot to compensate for a granny knot. And as a marathon runner, I'm half tempted to start a shoe-typing workshop just so I don't have to see runners stopped to tie their shoes during a race.
Anyway, thanks!
– Martin K., Jun-2026
If you'd also like to send feedback, please Contact Ian.