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Skate Shoe Laces Keep Breaking? How to Make Them Last
Every skater knows it. Your shoes are barely broken in and after a few sessions your lace is hanging by a thread. Grip tape is sandpaper and your lace sits exactly where your board slides along your shoe. If your skate shoe laces keep breaking, that is not down to you. You can slow it down a great deal, though. This blog explains where it goes wrong, how to protect the lace and which laces are best to keep as spares.
In short
- Laces wear through on the grip tape, almost always at the bottom eyelets on the side of your front foot.
- Skip the bottom eyelets or use the hidden loops if your shoe has them.
- Keep the lacing flat and tight at the bottom, so no lace sticks out.
- No lace can stand up to grip tape. Keeping spares at home is the real solution.
- Flat 8 mm laces in 120 or 140 cm fit most skate shoes.
Why do skate shoe laces keep breaking?
With an ollie and with every flip trick, you slide the side of your front foot across the grip tape. Your lace sits right on top. With every attempt the rough grit wears through a few fibres, until the lace snaps. It almost always happens in the same place: the bottom two or three crossings, on the outside of your front foot.
That also explains why one lace wears out much faster than the other. The lace on your back foot often lasts months longer.
How to make your laces last longer
| What you do | Why it helps |
|---|---|
| Skip the bottom eyelets | The lace starts higher up and no longer sits in the abrasion zone |
| Use the hidden loops | Many skate shoes have fabric loops under the flap. The lace then runs beneath the upper |
| Lace straight at the bottom | A straight bar lies flatter than a crossing and sticks out less |
| Keep the bow small and tuck it away | Loops that hang over the side get sanded down as hard as the lacing |
| Swap the laces between feet | The worn lace moves to your back foot and gets a rest there |
If a lace starts to fray, you can also turn it round. Lace it the other way, so the weak section ends up at the top near the bow. Nothing rubs against it there.
Many skaters spread a thin layer of shoe glue on the spot where the lace takes the most punishment. It makes the lace stiffer there, but it holds out longer. Only do this on the bottom crossings.
Which laces fit skate shoes?
The standard is a flat 8 mm lace. It lies flat on the shoe and holds the bow well.
| Type | Why | Lengths |
|---|---|---|
| Basic flat laces | The standard, in almost a hundred colors | 100 to 180 cm |
| Cotton laces | Matt look with plenty of grip in the bow | 120 and 140 cm |
| Wide laces | The oversized look of nineties skate shoes | 120 and 140 cm |
Low-top skate shoes with 6 or 7 eyelets per side need 120 cm. If you skip the bottom eyelets, you will have a little more lace left over. High-top skate shoes call for 140 cm or more. Check your length in the shoelaces length guide.
Spares are the real solution
However cleverly you lace, grip tape wins in the end. A lace is a wear part, like your grip tape and your wheels. So make sure you always have a spare pair. A 5-pack works out cheaper per pair than single pairs and means there is always a new pair ready. The basic flat laces come as a 5-pack in white, black and sail. The color packs contain five colors from one color family.
Put a pair in your bag. A snapped lace in the middle of a session is then sorted within two minutes. How to lace in a new one quickly is explained in the guide how to replace shoelaces.
Can you still use a snapped lace?
As an emergency fix, yes. Tie the two pieces together and lace the shoe so that the knot sits on the tongue between two eyelets. Or lace only the longest piece and skip the top eyelets. It is enough to finish the session, but replace the lace afterwards. If only the end is fraying, you can repair the aglet. See what is an aglet.
Frequently asked questions
Are there laces that grip tape does not destroy?
No. Some laces hold out longer than others, but grip tape eventually wears through any material. Smart lacing and spares at home work best.
Why does only the lace on my front foot wear out?
Because that is the foot you slide across the board in an ollie. Your back foot stands on the tail and its side hardly touches the grip tape.
Should I tie skate shoes tight or loose?
That is personal. Tight gives more control, looser gives more board feel. Either way, make sure the bow does not hang over the side, because it will wear through there.
Are round laces better for skating?
No. A round lace sticks out further and so catches more grip tape. A flat lace lies flatter.
Browse all laces for skate shoes or go straight to the basic flat laces.
