how to tie your shoes - duh - been doing it wrong all along

You are not alone-realised after 58 years that I was tying a granny knot.
I think because my mum taught me and she was useless at tying anything properly.
My dad on the other hand had learned knots as a climber and as RAF ground crew.
 
I've been tying my laces like this for a good few years now... in fact, I started tying them that way because as said in the talk "it looks better" when they are tied as a reef knot.

But...

I recently found out I've been tying them incorrectly too.

Instead of tying a granny, or a reef knot, use a surgeons knot and further reduce the likelihood of your laces becoming untied... you could even go wild and tie the bows with a double overhand too, but let's face it... if you wanted that much shoe security, you'd be wearing velcro.
 
No way you're the only one, Dylan. I knew before the video but I still tied them wrong for a good 18 to 20 years.

Not surprising so many get it wrong though. You learn the double-bow method, then the single bow method, then how much thought is someone really going to give it? You've either got to be taught the reef way from the start or be the sort of nut to revisit shoe-tying methods later in life.
 
By the way, why do most deck shoes have leather laces anyway? Is it a fashion thing or is there some practical benefit to leather laces?

I now only buy deck shoes with Velcro fastenings, which seem (to me) to be much more practical.
 
dylanwinter said:
am I the only one who never knew this

time another forumite stepped up to the plate and fessed up

d
Click to expand...

Happy to fess up, I have been doing the same.

Embarrassing as I am quite particular about knots being tied correctly on the boat but I never put any thought into how I tie my shoes in the morning (probably because I'm on automatic-pilot when getting dressed and thoughts are elsewhere).

Thanks Dylan, although I do feel a little stupid now!
 
I have my left shoe tied the strong way and my right shoe the wrong way. I'll report back.

The left shoe, the strong way, is how I've always fastened the laces. The wrong way looks so wrong, with the bow aligning itself fore and aft instead of athwart-ships, that I would have discovered this trick many years ago, slave to fashion that I am.
 
Georgio said:
Happy to fess up, I have been doing the same.

Embarrassing as I am quite particular about knots being tied correctly on the boat but I never put any thought into how I tie my shoes in the morning (probably because I'm on automatic-pilot when getting dressed and thoughts are elsewhere).

Thanks Dylan, although I do feel a little stupid now!
Click to expand...

I'll fess up too! In fact I only understood this a few days ago for the first time - was on the boat and the weather was too bad to go sailing so, in a fit of boredom, I opened the RYA Knots and Splices handbook and found this one. It works too - I had always tied the bow back on itself in an effort to stop it coming undone and even then it was not very secure - since I understood the distinction between a Reef Bow and a Granny Bow, I have not had one instance of a lace coming untied!
 
parsifal said:
By the way, why do most deck shoes have leather laces anyway? Is it a fashion thing or is there some practical benefit to leather laces?
Click to expand...

[RANT]
It's so the laces are as impractical as the rest of the leather shoe. See here for practical deck shoes.
[/RANT]

I do love TED stuff, I've got the app and everything ...
 
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nigelmercier said:
See here for practical deck shoes.
Click to expand...

I've bought cheap deck shoes online before and found the soles rubbish for grip - wrong sort of rubber. Therefore I'm reluctant to do the same again. However, if you've had these particular ones and know they're good, then that's worth knowing about, thanks.

Pete
 
Anyone got any suggestions for good deck slippers? I wear standard deck shoes or sea boots when we are out sailing, but need some slippers for use on board. Most that I can find have fairly soft, dark rubber soles that mark the floor and hull, or leave odd scraps of rubber all over the place. Could do with something that is effectively a soft, slip-on deck shoe!
 
I saw a review in PBO (or maybe YM) a while back that tested a load of deck shoes along with Dunlop Green Flash and bare feet.
They did all sorts of tests like protection (bare feet naturally scored zero there) and what angle it could go to on a wet surface (various types) before losing grip.

Dunlop Green Flash came second only to a swanky pair of deck shoes that cost about four times the price. When I eventually save enough to buy a Corribee that'll be my go-to deck shoe (maybe even in velcro so cold hands are no problem) when boots aren't called for.
 
Someone posted a link here sometime ago about a knot to stop deck shoe laces coming undone. I don't think it was the same as this method in the video. Does anyone know of it?
 
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