How to Bar-Tie Converse High Tops

The traditional lacing of Converse sneakers is a criss-cross pattern.

Converse high tops can be worn by men, women and children and come in a variety of colors. While they can be laced however the wearer chooses, the traditional way to lace up and tie Converse high tops is by bar lacing them. Bar lacing (or straight lacing) gives a neat look to the shoes as the laces go straight across the shoe, rather than criss-crossing. Bar lacing also helps keep the tongue of the shoe in place.

Things You'll Need

• 54-inch shoelaces

Instructions

1. Feed the shoelace across the bottom pair of eyelets, pulling the ends of the lace down through the eyelets.

2. Pull the right end of the lace up through the second eyelet on the right hand side of the shoe, then across and back down through the second eyelet on the left side.

3. Bring the left end of the lace up through the third eyelet on the left hand side of the shoe, then across and back down through the third eyelet on the right side.

4. Continue lacing the shoes in this way, moving up the shoe until all the eyelets have been laced except for the last pair.

5. Pull the ends of the shoelace up through the last pair of eyelets in order to be able to tie them.

References

• Ian's Shoelace Site: Straight (Bar) Lacing
• Elastic Shoe Laces: How to Bar Lace the Shoe