How to Lace English Field Riding Boots
English field boots are long riding boots that cover the legs for protection while horseback riding, and are also worn during English riding competitions. Field boots are designed to provide flexibility at the ankle and are uniquely laced so a bow is tied in the middle of the eyelet row, rather than at the top--as with most laced footwear. Lacing these boots is accomplished through a series of diagonal and straight motions. Learning to properly lace English field boots takes practice and results in a beautifully presented boot.
Instructions
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1
Position the boot with the toe facing you. Mark the middle eyelets of your field boots with a strip of masking tape near each hole. Count down four eyelets from the top of the boots and mark the fifth eyelet as the middle for each row.
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2
Start at the bottom-left eyelet. Insert one lace tip into the bottom-left eyelet and pull through with the tip facing in between the eyelet rows. Pull the lace tip up diagonally to the top right eyelet and feed through the eyelet, ensuring you have a diagonal length of lace from the bottom left eyelet to the top right eyelet. Pull the lace until there is equal length on the top and bottom sections of lace. Consider the lace at the top of the boot as "Lace A," and the bottom portion as "Lace B."
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3
Place Lace B across the boot to the bottom right eyelet and feed through with the lace tip going in toward the boot. Pull Lace B across to the second left eyelet, then across to the second right eyelet. Place Lace B diagonally to the third left eyelet, then across to the third right eyelet. Repeat by pulling Lace B diagonally to the fourth left eyelet, and then across to the fourth right eyelet. Repeat by feeding Lace B to the fifth left eyelet, which should be marked with tape, and pull the tip through to create a free end.
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4
Place the free end of Lace A across to the top left eyelet, and working from the top down, bring Lace A to the second right eyelet. Bring Lace A over to the second left eyelet, then down to the third right eyelet. Bring Lace A across to the third left eyelet, down to the fourth right eyelet and over to the fourth left eyelet. Bring Lace A diagonally to the fifth right eyelet, which should be marked with tape, and pull through. Ensure you have one free lace end on each eyelet row. Tie ends to make a bow.
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Tips & Warnings
This process can be repeated for seven-eyelet field boots by marking the middle eyelets with tape in the same fashion and following the steps.
Once laced, you should only see lace going across the outside of the boots and no diagonal lace placements. All diagonal lacing should be hidden beneath the eyelet flap.
