How to Tie Football Boots So Your Laces Stay Put

A loose lace during a match costs you a sprint, a ball or, at worst, an ankle. That is why knowing how to tie football boots is not quite the same as tying your sneakers. The boot has to close snugly around your foot, the bow must not get in the way when you shoot and the lace has to stay put for a whole match. This blog explains how to manage that and which laces fit a football boot.

In short

• Tighten the lace from bottom to top, one crossing at a time, so the boot is equally snug everywhere.
• Tie a double bow and tuck the loops away under the lacing or under the flap.
• Preferably do not wrap the lace under your sole. It wears there and you have less grip.
• Football boots have small eyelets. Thin laces of 4 mm go through them smoothly.
• The most common length is 120 cm.

How to tie football boots in 5 steps

1. Start loose: undo the lace completely before you put the boot on. That way your foot slides right back into the heel.
2. Tighten each crossing: start at the bottom and tighten each crossing separately. If you only pull at the top, the boot is loose at your toes and too tight at your instep.
3. Check your heel: stand up and lift your heel. If it slides up, tighten the top two crossings more firmly.
4. Tie a double bow: tie your bow the way you are used to and then tie the loops around each other once more.
5. Tuck the loops away: tuck the loops and ends under the top crossings. If your boot has a flap over the laces, fold it over them.

A bow that keeps coming undone is often sitting crooked. How to recognise and fix that is explained in laces keep coming undone.

Where do you put the bow?

You strike the ball with the top of your instep. A thick bow in that spot changes the contact. There are two solutions.

• The bow to the outside: do not tie the lace in the middle, but slide the bow towards the outside of your foot before you pull it tight. That keeps the instep clear.
• Tucking the bow away flat: keep the loops small and tuck them under the lacing. Flat, thin laces make a flatter bow than round ones.

Many players wrap a lace that is too long under the sole. It seems handy, but the lace rubs against the pitch there with every step. On artificial grass it wears through quickly. If your lace is so long that you want to wrap it, a shorter lace is the better solution. See laces too long.

Which laces fit football boots?

Football boots often have small eyelets that a wide lace will not fit through. So measure your old lace first or look at the eyelet.

Type	Width	Length	Suits
Thin laces	4 mm, flat	120 cm	Football boots with small eyelets
Performance laces	6 mm, flat	120 cm	Football boots and indoor shoes with slightly roomier eyelets
Basic oval laces	6 mm, oval	120 cm	Indoor football shoes and sports shoes with oval laces

The thin laces come in more than twenty colors, from black and white to bright yellow and orange. So you can choose a lace that matches your boot or one in your club colors instead. If you are unsure about the width, the way to measure it is in the shoelace width guide.

Which length do you need?

For most football boots 120 cm is the right length. It suits 6 or 7 eyelets per side and leaves enough for a double bow. In small children’s sizes 120 cm leaves more lace over. Tuck it away under the lacing and make the loops no longer than necessary.

If you want to know exactly, measure the old lace from aglet to aglet. The length per number of eyelets is also in the shoelaces length guide.

When do you replace the laces of football boots?

Football laces have a hard life: wet grass, mud, artificial grass granules and opponents’ studs. Replace them when they fray, when the aglet comes off or when they stay stiff and hard after drying. A lace that snaps during a match cannot be repaired. So it is smart to keep a spare pair in your bag. The thin laces also come as a 5-pack.

Rinse muddy laces after the match and let them air dry. More tips are in how to wash shoelaces.

Frequently asked questions

How tight should you tie football boots?

Tight enough that your foot does not slide, but not so tight that your toes start to tingle. Tighten each crossing instead of only the top.

Can you wrap the lace around your ankle or under your boot?

You can, but there is no need. Under the sole the lace wears out quickly. A lace of the right length and a double bow work better.

Do regular flat laces of 8 mm fit football boots?

Usually not. The eyelets of football boots are too small for that. Choose 4 mm or 6 mm.

Are these laces also suitable for indoor football shoes?

Yes. Indoor football shoes often have slightly roomier eyelets. Performance laces or oval laces of 6 mm fit those well.

Browse all laces for football boots or go straight to the thin laces of 4 mm.