How to Lace Sperry Shoes

Most Sperry styles have leather laces and are difficult to tighten. You’ll find that normal lacing doesn’t prevent leather shoelaces from coming off. Although the most common knot for Sperry shoes is the barrel knot aka the sailor knot, there are other ways to tie Sperry shoelaces as well. Try using tassel knots, chain knots, or surgical knots. You can even use shoelaces to create a fishtail knot.

Table of Contents

Use the knot to hang the barrel

Line up the shoelaces to form a noose. Holding the left lace of one of the shoes, fold the laces up to form a noose. Leave an 8-10cm length at one end of the noose.

Twist the noose. Place the top of the noose between the thumb and forefinger of the non-dominant hand. Use your dominant hand to hold the tail just below the noose, and use your non-dominant hand to tighten the noose.

If necessary, wrap the tail around the noose a few more times.

Wrap the tail around the noose 5 times. Continue using your non-dominant hand to hold the top of the noose, and use your dominant hand to wrap the tail around the base of the noose 5 times.

Thread the end of the rope through the noose and pull. Grasp the end of the rope with your dominant hand and thread it through the noose. As you tug the end of the lace through the noose, use your non-dominant hand to push the knot toward the shoe.

Repeat the same for the remaining wires. Knot the box for the remaining 3 shoelaces.

Cut off the excess of the wire. If the laces are uneven, stretch across the floor, or look too long, you should trim the excess. Use sharp scissors to cut off the excess of the wires.

Use tassel knots

Cross the two wires. Place the left string on top of the right string to form an “X” shape. Bring the left cord under the right string. Pull the two strings in opposite directions.

Tie a square knot. The left hand holds the left rope and the right hand holds the right string. The right wire should be on top of the left wire. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Bring the right strand under the left strand. Pull it upside down on the left cord.
Bring the left cord under the right string. Pull it upside down on the right cord.
Tighten the knot by pulling both cords at the same time.

Make a noose with the rope on the left. Line up the left side of the rope to form a noose at the base of the square knot. The noose should be approximately 2.5cm in length. Keep the foot loop between the thumb and forefinger of the non-dominant hand.

Wrap the tail around the noose 2 to 3 times. Grasp the tail with your dominant hand. Wrap the rope tightly around the noose 2 to 3 times.

Thread the end of the rope into the noose and pull. Thread the end of the rope through the noose and pull hard.

Repeat for the right cord. Create a tassel on the right string in the same way. Cut off excess if needed.

Make two tassel knots on the other shoe.

Use chain knots

Make a noose with the rope on the left. Uncross the two wires. Grasp the left cord with your non-dominant hand. Use your dominant hand to form a 1.5 cm noose in the center of the left rope. Hold the noose with your left hand.

Make a second noose and thread it through the first. Using your dominant hand create a second noose 1.5 cm above the first. Push the foot of the second loop halfway through the first loop.

Tighten the laces and move the knot toward the eyelet. Insert the thumb of the non-dominant hand into the second noose. Grasp the tail with your dominant hand. Pull the noose and the tail in two different directions. Push the knot toward the eyelet.

Make another noose and thread it through the second loop. Use your dominant hand to create a third noose above the second. Bring this noose down and through the second loop.

Thread the end of the string through the third loop and pull tight. Hold the third noose in the non-dominant hand. Use your dominant hand to thread the end of the shoelace through this noose. Pull tight to form a link.

Use your hands to adjust the links evenly spaced.

Repeat with the right cord. Finish knotting the link with the right string. Try to make the links as even as possible.

Tuck the end of the laces into the shoe. Pull the left leash horizontally to the right. Raise the right lapel to tuck the left end into the shoe. Place the right leash above the left leash. Pull the right leash sideways to the left. Raise the left lapel to tuck the right end into the shoe.

Make a chain knot on the other shoe.

Using surgical knots

Initially you create a left-top-right knot. Cross the left cord over the right cord. Pass the left cord over and thread it under the right cord. Tighten both cords in opposite directions.

Form a noose with the rope on the left. Fold the left lace back (it’s now on the right side of the shoe) to make a 2.5cm noose. Place the leg of the noose next to the original knot.

Use the right cord to wrap around the noose. Grab the right lace (it’s now on the left side of the shoe). Bring the right rope to the front of the noose and wrap it around the base of the noose.

Thread the right string into the newly created circle and drag. Make a small loop inside the right cord. Thread the top of the noose through the newly created circle. Gently pull the noose through the circle.

At this point you have completed a standard shoelace knot.

Wrap the right loop around the left loop. Bring the right noose up and wrap it around the left loop. Thread the right noose through the circle again.

Tighten the two nooses. Grasp the right noose with your right hand and the left noose with your left hand. Tighten the two loops in opposite directions.

Create a surgical knot on the other shoe.

Use a fishtail knot

Thread the two shoelaces through the two holes that are level with each other. Thread the left strand through the last left eyelet. Pull the left cord through the first eyelet on the left. Thread the right lace through the last eyelet on the right. Pull the right lace through the first right eyelet.

The laces between the two eyelets should be visible from the outside of the shoe.

Cross the two laces and pull them down to the toe of the shoe. Place the left cord over the right cord. Lay the two laces flat with the ends facing the toe of the shoe.

Thread the left string over the right parallel piece. Thread the left string over the right parallel piece and pull tight.

Thread the right string over the left parallel piece. Thread the right string over the left parallel piece and pull tight.

Pull each rope over the opposite parallel line 3 times.

Pull the left cord (now on the right) over the left parallel line.
Pull the right string (now on the left) over the right parallel line.
Pull the left string (now on the left) over the right parallel line.
Pull the right string (now on the right) over the left parallel line.
Pull the left cord (now on the right) over the left parallel line.
Pull the right string (now on the left) over the right parallel line.

Tuck the end of the laces into the shoe. Tuck the left and right laces into the shoe.

Make a fishtail knot on the other shoe.

Things you need

Sperry shoes
Shoelace

Steps