Take a look at these top tips from one of our experienced coaches:
1. PROBLEM: "MY SHOE lS TOO TIGHT ALONG THE TOP OF MY FOOT"
Solution: Use parallel lacing to secure your foot without putting pressure on the top.
Lacing Method to Lessen Foot Pressure Parallel laces secure your feet without constricting them, which can happen when you use the usual criss-cross method. Here's how you can do the technique:
Lace the first two eyelets on the big toe side of the tongue (not the first eyelet on either side of the tongue like you normally would). Bring the lace from the first eyelet straight across to the first eyelet on the other side of the tongue and push it through. Pull it straight up the side,skipping one eyelet, and thread it through the third eyelet. Pull it straight across the tongue,and push it through the third eyelet on the opposite side. Repeat until all eyelets are laced and tied.
2. PROBLEM: "MY TOES FEEL CRAMPED''
Solution: Reduce forefoot constriction by using four shoelaces instead of two.
Un-cramp Your Toes With Four Laces Who said you can only use two? Using four laces gives you more control over how your shoes fit both along your forefoot and higher up on your heel.
Technique: Remove the laces and measure them. Buy two sets (four laces) half that length. On both shoes, use one lace for the bottom three eyelets and a second lace for the upper three eyelets. The end result will be two bows on each shoe, allowing you to tie the bottom laces looser to accommodate your wider forefoot.
3. PROBLEM: "MY SHOE RUBS ONE SPOT ON THE TOP OF MY FOOT"
Solution: Eliminate pressure on a "hot spot" by lacing around it, not directly over it.
How to Heal "Hot Spots" by Changing Your Shoe Lacing. lf your shoe rubs the top of your foot, leaving a "hot spot" or other irritation, use this lacing technique to help your foot heal
Technique: Place a lipstick smear on your hot spot. Slide your bare foot into your shoe and take it out.The mark on the underside of the tongue tells you which set(s) of eyelets to skip. Lace your shoe until you reach the eyelet before the spot. Take the lace back under and pull it up through the next eyelet on the same side. Take the lace across and continue to lace. Repeat this on the other side. You'll have an empty spot on the tongue where no laces cross it,which should eliminate your pressure point.
4. PROBLEM: "MY BIG TOENAIL TURNED BLACK."
Solution: Lift the upper material above your big toe up and off it.
Prevent Black Toenails with Zig-Zag Shoelace Technique Black toenails are a rite of passage for runners. They're also ugly. Here's a simple shoe lacing technique that can help you beat them and keep your toes the colour they should be.
Technique: Thread one end of the lace through the eyelet next to your big toe. Pull the end of that lace up to the last eyelet on the opposite side, bringing the lace through to the outside. Leave justenough slack at the top to tie a bow. Take the remaining portion of the lace straight across toward the outside of the shoe and then diagonally up toward the inside of the shoe. Repeat until all of the eyelets are laced. When you tug on the outside lace, it will pull the materialabove your big toe up and off your nail.
5. PROBLEM: "MY HEEL SLIDES UP AND DOWN."
Solution: Create a more secure fit around the ankle without tightening the entire shoe.
Secure Your Ankle with a Shoelace Trick Add a little loop to the top of your laces. lt allows you to fasten your shoe around your ankle without putting pressure on the rest of your foot.
Technique: Lace as normal until one eyelet remains on each side. Draw the lace straight upon the outside of the shoe and bring it through the last eyelet. This will create a loop. Repeat on the other side, Cross each lace over the tongue, thread it through the opposite loop, and tie. The loops help to cinch in the material around your ankle to prevent your heel from slipping without making the rest of your shoe any tighter.