Men’s style guide: How to lace your dress shoes
It might not be something you give much thought to, but many men don't know how to properly lace their dress shoes. When it comes to dressing well, the small details matter.
Anatomic & Co has put together a quick and easy guide to help you get laced up in style.
Types of shoelaces
When it comes to dress shoes, there are two types of laces you can use: Round laces for more formal shoes and Flat laces for less formal styles. Avoid extra flat/wide athletic laces when it comes to dress shoes.
Smart shoes have tough and careful construction - so choosing the right lace can make the whole lot of difference in comfort and tieing.
When it comes to colour, you can either play it safe with darker shades that are similar to the colour of your shoe, or alternatively experiment with some vibrant colours.
Flat shoelaces and boot laces
Flat thin dress laces are the boldest option, and they can change a shoes delicacy design remarkably, so a cleaner design shoe, like a Derby, would be your best bet
Flat boot laces are built to last, making them a good choice for all kinds of boots. If you do decide to opt for boot laces, always go for that extra bit of length.
Round Laces
If you are after quality, then round laces are your best bet. Paired mainly with brogues and Oxford shoes, round laces are long lasting. Strangely, the best quality round laces are always the thinnest – making them easy to thread through the eyelets. Round laces bring clean-cut detail to any shoe.
Types of lacing
Straight Bar lacing - The straight bar look is an easy way to lace your dress shoes. This technique works best for oxfords and more formal shoes because it allows the uppers of the shoe to come completely together in the middle.
Criss cross lacing - This is a less formal style of lacing and is meant for brogues or Derbys. It's one of the easiest methods for lacing your dress shoes and should only be done when the top of the shoe has two separate pieces of leather.
Diagonal lacing - This lacing technique adds a sophisticated modern twist to your dress shoes. You can either lace both shoes with the parallel lines going the same way, or you can make them mirror each other. Either way, both are visually appealing.
The more detailed the shoe, the simpler the lace should be. When it comes to the rest of your outfit, try experimenting with different laces, especially if you are wearing a clean-cut suit. Changing up your laces is an easy way to switch up minor details of an outfit.
