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.
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
24-Aug-2026
Today's pic from the archives was contributed by Carly in Nov-2009.
Black Converse All-Stars with white trim laced with white & orange Lattice Lacing + Straight Bar Lacing.
Third of five different methods on Carly's various All-Stars. The orange shoelaces are home-made from duct tape.
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
I want to say I really love your lattice lacing method; it's my go-to style.
– Lulu, Aug-2026
Thank you for making the site with wonderful shoelace knowledge! It is not lost upon us and is very useful!
(Especially among the youth who like to make their shoes look fancy!)
...
Your effort helps humanity stay whimsical in these trying times, and it's well worth the praise!
– Amelie v.O., Ireland, Aug-2026
I have been having real difficulties securely tying my shoelaces – particularly the left shoe keeps coming undone with a standard knot. (I don't know why it is always the left shoe, since I tie the laces exactly the same way.) This is of particular concern to me since I go out cycling nearly every day. Recently, my left shoelace came undone and got tangled with the cycle chain. Luckily I was going very slowly and did not suffer an accident.
I have been looking for some time for a way to prevent this. I have considered using the spray that dancers use so their pointe shoes don't slip, but it is quite expensive.
Then Gemini found “Ian's Secure Knot”. It is wonderful! I have never had a shoelace come undone since I started using this knot.
It's a beautifully simple idea and looks great. Congratulations on your brilliance and ingenuity.
– Tony F., UK, Aug-2026
Your knots helped me un-learn and re-learn how to tie my shoes (the right way) many years ago, and has saved me many loose laces.
– Nathan S., USA, Aug-2026
First of all, thank you so much for putting this together. It's been a blast trying to figure out how to tie my new favorite shoes.
– Amanda, USA, Jul-2026
i love ur website and visiting it alot during class when im bored it is very helpful!
– Endre X., Singapore, Jul-2026
I just wanted to say that your website brought me joy this morning while trying to figure out the best way to lace my customised shoes.
I expected to trawl some bulls**t wikihow or ai “articles”, but your cleanly presented database of shoelaces and techniques to explore made me yearn for the old 90s internet.
Even to the point I shared it in the group chat I have with some friends!
You just single handedly made the internet worth it again today for me. 👍
– Atticus M., Jul-2026
Hey Ian, I love your site and use it every time I get a new pair of lacing shoes. Thanks for helping keep my footwear sharp.
– Buckley G., USA, Jul-2026
If you'd also like to send feedback, please Contact Ian.