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Mathematics Unravels Optimum Way To Lace Shoes

Posted by timothy on from the is-with-velcro dept.

Seft writes "The knotty problem of choosing the optimum way of lacing up shoes has been solved by a new mathematical proof. There are many millions of different possibilities but, reassuringly, the proof shows that centuries of human trial and error has already selected out the strongest lacing patterns. However, the pattern using the least amount of lace possible, the decorative "bowtie" lacing, is usually only seen in shoe shop displays"

4 of 49 comments (clear)

  1. Re:That's odd. by CableModemSniper · · Score: 2, Informative

    Not tie...LACE. If you look at the article you can see a diagram of what they mean.

    --
    Why not fork?
  2. What about single side lacing? by Soul-Burn666 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Where I live, in the army, you lace by first knotting one side of the lace to the first eyehole and then make an above connection to the eyehole on the other side (from outside), then you go up one eyehole, and then go again to the other side... eventually leaving you with only one side of the lace to tie somewhere... After it's done, you see only horizantal laces, all the vertical ones are below. That way it is easier to cut the laces if you get injured.

    Also, needing only to use one lace makes lacing up and down faster, tho you need to get used to the fact that for each level of eyehole you need to lace in the opposite direction.

    Something like this:

    *-o
    o-o
    o-o
    o-o
    o-o
    /

    Where * is the knotted side and / is the leftover, coming from under the eyehole.

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    ^_^
    1. Re:What about single side lacing? by floydigus · · Score: 2, Informative

      This is typical army shithead technique.

      I used to be in the army cadets here in the UK and they used to make you do your boots like this - especially when you showed them there was a better way.

      The problem is that you ONLY have one end of the lace to tie off. This is clearly a PROBLEM because it is HARD .
      Now. How about a way of lacing shoes where you only have one crossing of the lace between each pair of holes, but you can still tie in a bow, like 99% of human shoe users do?

      Pay attention. Here comes the science bit...

      5a 5b
      4a 4b
      3a 3b
      2a 2b
      1a 1b

      Start with the lace threaded halfway through 1a and 1b from the outside in. Now do this...
      1a, 2a, 3b, 4b, 4a...
      1b, 3b, 3a, 5a, 5b...
      Sometimes at the top you need to frig it just a little.

      --

      All things in moderation; including moderation

  3. Hiking up & down mountains by bbonnn · · Score: 3, Informative

    Of course, this study doesn't take into account terrain. Really hard-core backpackers lace their shoes differently depending on whether they're ascending or descending a mountain.