An Easy Guide to Lacing Vans: Old Skools, High Tops, & More

Unique ways to style, tie, & lace your off-the-wall kicks

Co-authored by Finn Kobler

Last Updated: March 20, 2023 References Approved

Bar-Lacing Vans

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Cross-Lacing Vans

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Zipper-Lacing Vans

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Lacing Basics

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Video

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Q&A

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Tips

ARTICLE

VIDEO

Vans are the most popular skate shoes in the world for a reason. Sleek and chic, pretty much everyone looks cool in a pair of Old Skools or Sk8 Highs…as long as they’re laced properly. If you need some advice on lacing your Vans shoes, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll go over 3 expert-approved techniques on styling and threading your Vans, as well as some general lacing tips so your shoes look fly no matter how you tie them.

Things You Should Know

Use thick, white shoe laces for lacing. The Vans brand laces often look best, but any white sneaker laces will work.
Use a bar-lacing pattern for a crisp, striking look that doesn’t show your laces crossing each other or knotting together.
Cross-lace your shoes for a looser, more relaxed look.
If you can’t decide to cross-lace or bar-lace, split the difference with a zipper-lacing pattern. This style looks fresh and keeps your laces nice and clean.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Bar-Lacing Vans

1
Ensure you have an even number of eyelets for bar-lacing. Check to see if your skate shoes have an even or odd number of eyelets (lace holes) on either side. You can straight-lace any pair of Vans with an even number of eyelets. If your Vans have an odd number of eyelets, you may have to adjust your technique slightly.^{[1]
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- Most Vans have about 7 or 8 eyelets. However, shoes can have as few as 4 and as many as 9.
- Don’t count the top eyelet, as you’ll be using this pair of holes to tie your shoes.
2
Insert each end of the shoelace downward through the bottom 2 eyelets. Keeping the left lace on the left side and the right lace on the right side, thread your shoelace through the bottom 2 eyelets. This will create a bar across the bottom with the laces going inwards.^{[2]
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- Some Vans shoes come with the bottom part of the shoe already laced. If your shoes arrive out of the box like this, skip this step.
- Pull to ensure that both the left and right sides of your shoelace are equally long. If one side is longer than the other, re-thread the lace accordingly.
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3
Thread the right lace through the eyelet directly above it. Feed the right lace underneath the shoe’s eyelets so that it pops out of the second-to-bottom eyelet on the right side. This will hide the inner lacing and give this style its unique look.^{[3]
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- Whether you go by your right or the shoe's right doesn't matter. The end result will be the same, as long as you stay consistent in your threading.
4
Feed the left lace through the 3rd-bottom-eyelet. Take the left side of your bottom lace and thread it underneath the shoe’s eyelets so it pops up out of the 3rd-bottom eyelet on the left side. This will leave an empty eyelet on the left side between the original bar and the emerging lace.^{[4]
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5
Cross the right lace through the left hole in the 2nd-to-bottom eyelet. Take the right part of your lace and stretch it over to the left side of your shoe. Then, insert the lace downward through the empty hole in the 2nd-to-bottom eyelet. This will leave you with 2 bars in your lacing and both laces on the left side.^{[5]
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Cross the lace emerging from the 3rd-bottom eyelet to the right side. Take the lace from the threaded hole in the 3rd-bottom eyelet and feed it across your shoe. Insert the lace downwards through the empty hole in the 3rd eyelet. Now, you’ll have 3 bars in your lacing and each lace on a different side of the shoe.^{[6]
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7
Continue repeating this pattern. Feed the left lace underneath the shoe so that it pops up out of the 5th eyelet on the left side. Then, feed the right lace underneath the shoe so that it pops up out of the 4th eyelet on the right side. Cross each lace over to the corresponding eyelet on the other side to form new bars.
- Repeat as necessary, continuing to reverse sides after every 2 bars are completed.
- If your shoes have an odd number of eyelet pairs, skip lacing the last 2 eyelets (the eyelets furthest from your toes).^{[7]
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- Avoid barring the top pair of eyelets so you have some lace left over to tie your shoes.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Cross-Lacing Vans

1
Insert each end of the shoelace downward through the bottom eyelets. Push both ends of the shoelaces through the eyelets closest to the toe of the sneaker. The shoelace will form a bar across the bottom of the shoe with the laces going inwards. Pull the ends of the laces up over the bar and then downward toward the toe.^{[8]
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- Tug to ensure that both sides of your shoelace are equal in length. If one side is longer than the other, pull the lace accordingly.
2
Cross the right lace over to the left side of the shoe. Insert the right lace downward and diagonally through the 2nd-to-bottom eyelet on the opposite side of the shoe. Thread so that the right lace crosses the tongue of the shoe with the left lace emerging from between the bar and the cross-lace. Then, pull the crossed lace to the left (away from the shoe) to get it out of the way.^{[9]
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- Whether you go by your right or the shoe's right doesn't matter. Just stay consistent and the end result will be the same.
3
Cross the left lace over to the right side. Insert the left lace downward through the 2nd-to-bottom eyelet on the right, just as you did with the other side. You will now have a bar and 2 cross-laces in your lacing. Pull the newly-crossed lace to the right (away from the shoe) to get it out of the way.
- If you want a looser lacing style, tug on the tongue and/or sides of your Vans every so often to free up some tension in the cross-laces.^{[10]
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  Research source} Sk8 Highs and other Vans high tops tend to look better with this looser, cross-laced stitching style.
4
Continue lacing in this pattern. Start by crossing the lace on the right-hand side over to the left side and downward through the eyelet, making sure that the other lace emerges from between the two crossings. Pull the newly-crossed lace to the left to get it out of the way. Then, cross the left lace over to the right side. Repeat until the shoe is completely laced.^{[11]
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- Lacing the shoes this way ensures that the cross-laces always go in one direction over the other lace. When the time comes to lace your other shoe, reverse the process so that your laces mirror each other.
- Leave a few eyelets empty if you want more room for your foot to maneuver. Lace all your shoe’s eyelets if you want a more snug fit.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Zipper-Lacing Vans

1
Insert each end of the shoelace downward through the bottom eyelets. Zipper-lacing is a happy medium between cross-lacing and bar lacing. To begin a zipper-laced pattern, thread your shoelace downward through your Vans’ bottom pair of eyelets, with an equal amount of lace on the left and right side.
- Zipper lacing provides extra tightness in the shoe, because it locks at each pair of eyelets.^{[12]
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  Research source} This is especially helpful for Vans Old Skools and other, flatter Vans.
2
Tuck each side of the lace diagonally under the first bar. Grab the aglets (tips of the lace) and insert each side of the shoelace underneath the horizontal row in the bottom 2 eyelets (the eyelets nearest to your toes). Thread the left side of the lace in the right direction and the right side of the lace in the left direction, creating a diagonal pattern.^{[13]
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3
Feed the right lace through the left eyelet directly above and vice versa. After you’ve tucked both laces underneath the first bar, insert both laces from underneath the 2nd-to-bottom eyelets (not downward), exactly like you would for a cross-lacing pattern. Feed the left lace through the 2nd-to-bottom right eyelet and the right lace through the 2nd-to-bottom left eyelet.^{[14]
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4
Tuck each lace underneath the cross-laced pattern directly below. Like you did for the first pair of eyelets, insert each lace diagonally under the row in the 2nd-to-bottom pair of eyelets. Feed the left lace toward the 3rd-bottom right eyelet and the right lace toward the 3rd-bottom-left eyelet. Thread your laces in the direction of the toe upward.^{[15]
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- Because of the zipper-like pattern, the stitching pattern in the 2nd-to-bottom eyelets will look more diagonal than bar-laced. Continue tucking under the diagonal rows in either direction.
5
Feed the laces through the 3rd-bottom eyelets. After both laces have been tucked under the row directly below them, insert them through the eyelets 1 slot above them in their opposite direction: left lace goes through right eyelet and right lace goes through left eyelet.^{[16]
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Repeat this pattern until your shoe is laced all the way. Continue lacing your shoe through the remaining pairs of eyelets. Loop the laces under the row directly beneath them and feed them through the pair of eyelets directly above them diagonally.^{[17]
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- It’s likely there won’t be much lace left to tie when you’ve finished looping a zipper-lace pattern. If this is the case, simply tuck what’s left of your laces under the tongue of your shoe. The pattern itself will be tight enough to keep your Vans from falling off.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Lacing Basics

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Keep your shoelaces from twisting. The straight, flat-laced look is classic Vans so you want your laces to look crisp and new. Each time you pull your laces through the eyelets, slowly flatten them out to keep them from twisting up and looking uneven.^{[18]
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- Don't over-tighten your laces. This can cause them to bunch together and mess up the look.
- Feel your laces to ensure they’re firm when you take your Vans out of the box for the first time. If your laces are soft and floppy, you may have been given fake Vans and further inspection is required.
2
Face your shoes towards you when lacing. It's a lot easier to lace up your sneakers when they're on the ground, with the toe facing you. To lace your shoes more clearly and easily, take them off beforehand and turn them in your direction.
3
Use thick white laces. Vans laces are usually the best laces for Old Skools, high tops, and other types of Vans. However, any variety of white sneaker lace will work. In general, skate laces are pretty puffy and white, whereas basketball and other sneaker laces are thinner and more cylindrical.
- Use any color of laces you like, but new white laces are the most commonly associated with Vans.
4
Change your laces regularly. Having a fresh set of laces always looks cool. Switch out your laces every couple of weeks, especially if you're skating regularly and breaking laces, or scuffing them up.
5
Change up the way you lace your shoes. To get the most life out of your shoes, alternate between the styles you use when you lace them. This way, they won't wear from repeated lacings.
- If you bar-lace your shoes, cross-lace them every now and then to keep them looking new.
- If you cross-laces your Vans, change the direction of the crosses, so that the right side isn't always over the left, or vice versa. This will help to keep the shoes from wearing unevenly.

Community Q&A

Question

Do I lace my vans under or over?

wikiHow Staff Editor
Staff Answer
This answer was written by one of our trained team of researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness.

wikiHow Staff Editor

Staff Answer

How you lace your vans depends entirely on what lacing pattern you're using. For example, if you're bar lacing, thread your laces downward through the holes. If you're zipper lacing, thread from underneath.
Question

What do I do with the excess shoe lace after the lacing process is complete?

Community Answer

Most people tuck the rest of the lace under the tongue after lacing.
Question

How do I tuck the remainder of the laces of my Vans shoes?

Community Answer

You can tie the laces behind the tongue of your shoes and tuck the laces under the tongue.