Ian Knot (Ian's Fast Shoelace Knot)

My own Ian Knot (yes – I'm the inventor) is the World's Fastest Shoelace Knot. Make a loop with both ends and simultaneously pull them through each other to form an almost instant knot.

Quick Preview:

Before we begin, here's a small GIF animation of my Ian Knot to prove that it really is the world's fastest way to tie shoes.

Regular Instructions

The following are the regular instructions and diagrams for my Ian Knot. See also my detailed instructions and finger illustrations starting from Step 8 (below).

⇄ Flip left/right

Step 1:

Begin with a regular Left-over-Right Starting Knot.

(See also illustration at Step 8)

Step 2:

Make both ends into “loops” by simply doubling them back onto themselves.

(See also illustration at Step 9)

Step 3:

Twist both loops anti-clockwise so that the left (yellow) loose end is at the front and the right (blue) loose end is at the back.

(See also illustration at Step 10)

Step 4:

Cross the loops with the left (yellow) loose end in front.

NOTE: The loops are really more “alongside” each other, which is difficult to illustrate.

(See also illustration at Step 11)

Step 5:

Each hand uses the two fingers inside its own loop to grab the loose end of the other hand's loop.

(See also illustration at Step 12)

Step 6:

Each hand releases its own loop and pulls the loose end of the opposite loop through its own.

(See also illustration at Step 13)

Step 7:

Pull both loops tight to complete the knot.

(See also illustration at Step 14)

⇄ Flip left/right

Detailed Instructions

The following are detailed instructions and finger illustrations for my Ian Knot. See also my regular instructions and diagrams starting from Step 1 (above).

⇄ Flip left/right

Step 8:

Begin with a regular Left-over-Right Starting Knot.

(See also diagram at Step 1)

Step 9:

Hold the left (yellow) lace around the left thumb and forefinger, using the other fingers of the left hand to hold the lace taut. Hold the right (blue) lace between the right thumb and forefinger.

(See also diagram at Step 2)

Step 10:

The left hand simply rotates forwards so that the left (yellow) loose end is at the front. The right middle finger pushes the right (blue) loose end to the back.

(See also diagram at Step 3)

Step 11:

The left thumb pushes the left (yellow) loose end over to the right, while the right middle finger continues to push the right (blue) loose end all the way between the left thumb and forefinger to end up inside the left loop.

(See also diagram at Step 4)

Step 12:

The left thumb and forefinger grab the right (blue) loose end, while the right thumb and middle finger grab the left (yellow) loose end.

(See also diagram at Step 5)

Step 13:

Each hand releases its own loop and pulls the loose end of the opposite loop through its own. Take care not to pull the ends all the way through, as this will form a “knot” instead of a “bow”. In fact, this is a quick way to tie a “Starting Knot” (although the finger movements must be flipped left/right to balance the finished knot).

(See also diagram at Step 6)

Step 14:

Pull both loops tight to complete the knot. With practice, I can now tie my shoelaces in about one third of the time of a conventional knot!

(See also diagram at Step 7)

⇄ Flip left/right

Finished Knot Gallery

The finished Ian Knot is identical to either the Standard Shoelace Knot or the Two Loop Shoelace Knot. Because it was tied much more quickly and symmetrically, the laces suffer less wear and tear and thus last longer.

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