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Shoelace Width Guide: Which Width Do You Need, From 3 to 30 mm?
With new laces you think of length and color first. Width is easy to forget, until the new lace will not go through the eyelet or looks lost in your shoe. Which shoelace width you need depends on your eyelets and on the look you want. In this blog you will learn how to measure the width, which widths are available from 3 to 30 mm and which one suits your shoe.
In short
- The standard for sneakers is a flat lace of 8 mm.
- Dress shoes and football boots have small eyelets and call for 3 or 4 mm.
- Sports and running shoes usually take 6 mm, flat or oval.
- Measure the width of your old lace by laying it flat and measuring across it.
- Going wider only works if the aglet goes through your smallest eyelet without forcing.
Which shoelace width suits which shoe?
These are the widths you will find at Veter.nl, from narrow to wide.
| Width | Type of lace | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 3 mm | Waxed round laces | Dress shoes with small eyelets |
| 4 mm | Thin laces | Football boots and shoes with narrow eyelets |
| 5 mm | Basic round laces, outdoor laces, reflective round laces | Work shoes, hiking boots, boots and sneakers with round laces |
| 6 mm | Performance laces and basic oval laces | Running and sports shoes |
| 8 mm | Basic flat laces and most other flat laces | Sneakers, skate shoes and casual shoes |
| 9 mm | Fat oval laces | Sneakers and sports shoes with large eyelets |
| 8 to 10 mm | Chunky rope laces | Boots and chunky sneakers |
| 15 mm | Wide teddy laces | Sneakers with large eyelets, as an eye-catcher |
| 20 mm | Wide laces | Chunky sneakers and skate shoes |
| 30 mm | Extra wide laces | Sneakers with big eyelets and an oversized look |
How do you measure the width of a lace?
With a ruler and your old lace it takes a minute.
- Take the lace out of your shoe and lay it flat on a table. Do not pull it taut.
- Measure across the lace, from edge to edge. With a round lace you measure the thickness.
- Measure in the middle of the lace and not near the aglet. A lace is often narrower towards the ends.
- Round to the nearest width in the table.
An old lace has often become a little flatter and wider with wear. If you measure 9 mm on a flat sneaker lace, it was probably an 8 mm lace.
If you no longer have the old lace, look at the eyelet. A small round hole without a ring points to 3 or 4 mm. An eyelet with a metal ring or a fabric loop usually has room for 8 mm.
Can you choose a wider or narrower lace than the original?
Yes, within limits. The limit is your eyelet.
- Wider: works if the aglet goes through the smallest eyelet without forcing. A flat lace folds over slightly in the eyelet by itself. That is why 8 mm also fits through a round eyelet that looks narrower.
- Narrower: always fits, but changes the look. A 4 mm lace in a sneaker made for 8 mm looks thin and leaves the eyelet half empty.
From 8 to 20 mm is a big step. It only works in shoes with large eyelets. How to lace wide laces shows you how to fit wide laces without them twisting. If you are torn between the thick options, thick laces for sneakers will help.
What does the width do to the bow?
A wider lace has more contact area in the knot. That is why a bow tied with a flat 8 mm lace holds better than one tied with a thin, smooth cord. Very wide laces do make a big bow. With 20 and 30 mm, many people therefore tuck the ends away.
A thin lace is lighter and tightens easily. That is welcome on shoes you want to tie tightly, such as football boots. How to do that is explained in how to tie football boots. Why the shape also counts here is explained in flat, round or oval laces.
Does the width affect the length?
Not with the common widths. You choose a lace of 4, 6 or 8 mm in the same length. Only with wide and thick laces, from about 10 mm, should you go one step longer when in doubt. A wide band uses a little more lace at every crossing and in the bow. The length per number of eyelets is on the shoelaces length guide page.
Frequently asked questions
What is the standard width of sneaker laces?
8 mm. That is the width of the flat laces found in most sneakers.
Are comfort laces really 8 mm?
Yes, in your shoe. Under tension, comfort laces are 8 mm wide. If you measure them loose on a table, they are about 10 mm.
How wide are laces for dress shoes?
Usually 3 mm round or 4 mm flat. Thicker laces often do not fit through the small eyelets of a dress shoe.
Does an 8 mm lace fit through a round eyelet?
Usually yes. The lace folds over slightly in the eyelet. Test it with the aglet: if it goes through without forcing, the lace fits.
Know which width you are after? Under laces by type the width in mm is listed after each type.
