Mathematics Unravels Optimum Way To Lace Shoes

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"

Comments

What about single side lacing?

[Soul-Burn666]

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.