Prevent Blisters on Your Shoes With a “lace Lock”
If you develop blisters on your heels while running, or if your heels slip frequently in your shoes when the trail gets rocky, there is an easy solution. Do you know that weird lace hole in the ankles of your sneakers? It can be used to tie a lace strand.
The lace lock or heel lock creates extra friction between the laces at the ankle so you can snuggle around your ankle and heel without tightening your entire shoe.This video from Harry Runs YouTube shows how to do it:
You should immediately notice a significant improvement in heel slip and stability, but if that’s not enough, try pulling the tongue of the shoe forward so that the entire lace locking system is behind the tongue. This version with a very tight fit eliminates slippage of the tongue and allows the collar of the shoe to be tightly pulled around the foot. If you have particularly narrow feet and ankles, or simply wear shoes with slippery tongues, this can be a lifesaver.
The lace lock is also suitable for shoes that do not have an extra hole; just use the top regular hole instead. Try it with your hiking boots, climbing shoes, or any other pair of lace-ups that can improve comfort. If you’ve overcompensated for heel slip by laced your toe and midfoot too tight , or calculated too tight to avoid black toenails, and now find they are too large in the heel area, feel free to relax a bit. – The lace closure will still hold the heel in place and the toes will be much more comfortable.
This article was originally published on February 13, 2015. It was updated on June 10, 2021 with the addition of a new photo, an active YouTube video link, a description of the ultra-tight lacing technique, and updated links to related articles.