ver the last few years, I’ve been to hiking and trekking events all over Europe with the Hanwag marketing team. We’ve talked to lots of retailers and hikers out there about how to lace their boots better. I thought this would be good to share with you…
Fit of course is paramount, but lacing can play a major role in enhancing fit and comfort. Surf the internet for lacing tips and it’s amazing what you’ll find. Most of the information has to do with appearance. But there are some very effective tips too. Here are three lacing tricks which we think are helpful. And they make lacing your shoes child’s play.
FOR EXTRA ANKLE SUPPORT
All Hanwag footwear is fitted with very high-quality, anatomically-shaped heel counter (this is where many manufacturers like to cut corners where it’s difficult to spot, but we don’t). Therefore, we would like to claim that good ankle support is one of our strengths.
For a more compact fit you can use a lock lacing technique. Thread your laces directly under the two lowest lace hooks, but don’t cross them over. Then guide the opposite end through the lace that connects the two lace hooks. As a result the heel will sit better in the shoe.
TO ALLEVIATE PRESSURE AT THE INSTEP
Many people have an uneven instep or even bumps or ganglions on the top of their feet. If your boot rubs uncomfortably on these areas, simply thread the laces through two eyelets on the same side at the pressure point instead of crossing them over. This alleviates pressure and leaves more room for any unevenness
TWO ZONE LACING
There is a simple trick to set different lacing tensions at the different sections of the foot.
First, tighten the laces as required at the lower forefoot section. Then, simply cross the laces over one another and pull tight so that they cannot work loose. This allows you to lace the next section of the foot at a different tension.
We recommend altering lacing tension for ascents and descents. For ascents, only lace the bottom half of the shaft so that the heel sits perfectly in the boot. Then leave the upper somewhat looser so that the shaft doesn’t hit your shins. On descents, lace both areas up tightly to stop the foot from sliding forward in the boot. This is also why our more rigid alpine and trekking boots have an integrated clamp hook.
