I like to silently examine what people do, how their laces are tied etc.
The majority seem to untie their laces after every run, then re-tie the shoe back up for the following run.
Others just shove the foot into the shoe like a house slipper, and don't worry about re-tying.
Some people skipped the class when they were kids on shoe tying all together, because quite frequently I see people having to stop to re-tue their shoe lace that they thought they tied well enough 10, 15, 30 minutes ago. If you're someone that runs with me, you know that the inevitable line will be coming out of my mouth:
" Hey, would you like me to teach you how to tie a double knot?!?!"
LACES
Then there's the whole category of how the laces are actually tied. I had no idea there were different ways to lace up your shoes to avoid (or treat) different footpains.
Shortly after Runner's World released this informational video, a friend also sent us a large PDF about Lydiard training. It was about 30 pages long, and at the very end, Arthur Lydiard describes how he feels a running shoe should correctly be tied. (He believes in Parrallel Lacing, illustrated in video #3 in the link above).
HOW TIGHT?
There's also the whole discussion about how tight do you like your shoe tied?
Do you want it lose fitting, snug, tight, straight-jacket tight.
Personally, I've only ever used straight jacket tight one time in my life, and that was when i had to go through a bunch of muddy terrain, and didn't want my shoe to slip off my foot and disapear in the muddy abyss.
What do I do?
I use two different approaches for my road shoes versus my trail running shoes.
I'm pretty stubborn about how tight I like my shoe to feel, so for both shoes, just as soon as I'm satisfied with how a new shoe felt (hopefully after the very first run), I tie a double knot so tight, that there is no way in the world the lace will untie itself. This way, I know the fit is just how I like it, every single time I run.
For my road runners, (Brooks Radius) I like them pretty loose. Probably looser than 95% of the population.
For my trail running shoes (Brooks Cascadia at this time, but may switch as I'm not liking the new cut/design which feels more narrow), I like them tighter. In Austin, the trails are pretty technical (at least compared to what Oregon's trails were), so you're constantly jumping over rocks, roots, stumps, boulders etc. Because of this, your foot moves so much more than on a road run. In addition, I tend to get my trail running shoes wet almost everytime, so I'm pretty sure a tighter fit prevents blisters.
How do you tie your shoe laces?
Do you re-tie them every time?
Do you do a double knot?
Are you someone that needs a lesson on how to tie a double knot from me?
3 comments:
I see you have posted the curriculum for basic training lab courses 105 and 107.
I prefer a snug fit in all of my running shoes, and agree that it prevents blisters. I also have fewer calluses than the average runner that I attribute to a tighter fitting running shoe.
As for lacing, I prefer the traditional lacing technique. I find over time the mesh in my shoes (not necessarily the laces) stretch in places, so I have to adjust the lacing to tighten them after about 75 miles.
I re-tie every time I put my shoes on because there is no way my foot would fit back into the shoe if I didn't untie them. I do, however, have the bad habit of leaving them knotted when I take them off and just step on the back of the opposite heel to wedge my foot out of the shoe.
Double knotting is essential. I agree, and do not need a lesson. The folks I run with rarely need to stop and tie...they are all double knotters.
I like my running shoes medium-tight, standard lacing technique, also in a double-knot & always tied so I can just slip them in. Although, if they've gotten especially dirty & I'm soaking them or rinsing them off, I will untie so that all parts of the laces get cleaned & will dry properly. I also wear inserts in my shoes to help with PF, so I take those out if they need to dry, as well.
I always double knot too. Did you know there is a way to tie your laces to reduce the presuure on the top of your feet? Most people cross the left lace over the right. Try crossing the right over the left. Supposedly this creates an equally snug shoe with out the pressure. Learned this from a podiatrist.
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