Broken laces is a problem many experience every now and then, but some experience it way more often, and they often break laces on boots the most. The reason usually is the way the laces are tightened when the boots are put on, here’s how to tighten boot laces properly and avoid broken shoe laces.

 

It’s not boots per se that the problem is with, it’s boots with speed hooks. The hooks are a convenient solution to make it easier to get a pair of high boots on your feet, if you have regular eyelets all the way up you have to struggle a lot more with the laces when putting the shoes on and taking them off. However, speed hooks can be tougher on the laces, especially the case if you pull the laces in the wrong way.

Boots with speed hooks is what usually cause most issues with broken laces. Picture: The Coolector

Boots with speed hooks is what usually cause most issues with broken laces. Picture: The Coolector

The mistake that often is done is that one put the laces around the speed hooks, pull them tight, place them around the next pair of speed hooks, tighten again, and so on. When you do it like this the laces are drawn agains the relatively sharp edges of the speed hooks, which quite easily can cause them to break rather quickly.
What you need to do is to first pull the laces tight, then place them around the speed hooks, pull tight, then place around the next hooks, and so on. This way to tighten the boot laces is much gentler on the laces, and will prevent them from breaking easily. Speed hooks are a bit more harsh on the laces anyway, but this way they should last way longer than if you do it the wrong way described first. Below a film showing the technique, first the wrong one, then the right one (I speak in Swedish, but should be understandable):