How To Tie Moccasins

Posted on September 08 2016

'Nothing gold can stay,' remarked Robert Frost. Although not referring to moccasin laces at the time of writing, the phrase does apply quite well. As we all know, the knots of moccasin laces are prone to coming undone. Fortunately, the problem is easily remedied by re-tying the knot. But what way is the best way to do so? To help you along in the process we would like to present four ways how to tie moccasin laces.

Each of the four methods is explained in the video above and the text below. Additionally, the first method, the Two Loop Knot, is also explained in the below infographic.

The knots vary in appearance, size and difficulty. At the end of the day, they all do the same thing, so which knot you tie is really a matter of preference and personal style.

how to tie moccasins infographic

Two Loop Knot (elegant and even knot, refer to the above infographic)

  1. Set the laces apart to prepare for tying.
  2. Tie a securing knot with the smooth sides of the leather facing up.
  3. Make two loops (bunny ears), one with each end.
  4. Cross one loop over and then under the other.
  5. The resulting knot will likely be uneven. Adjust the knot and loops as needed to obtain the desired look.
  6. The final knot should have even loops and even ends. Ideally the ends will point toward the toe.

Double Slip Knot (bulky, uneven but strong)

  1. Set the laces apart to prepare for tying.
  2. Tie a securing knot, want to have the smooth side of the leather facing up.
  3. Make two loops, one with each end. It is best to make the loops a little longer than in the Two Loop Knot.
  4. Cross one loop over and then under the other.
  5. Cross the other loop over the end of the first loop and then through the opening of the knot.
  6. Pull the knot tight and tweak as needed.
  7. The resulting knot will not be even and will not be the most attractive of the four knots. However, it is a very stable knot that will stay tied.

Bowknot (classic and easy)

  1. Set the laces apart to prepare for tying.
  2. Tie a securing knot, want to have the smooth side of the leather facing up.
  3. With one end make a loop and take the other end of string and pass it over the loop and pull it through the resulting hole.
  4. The resulting knot will likely be uneven. Adjust the knot and loops as needed to obtain the desired look.
  5. The final knot should have even loops and even ends. Ideally the ends will point toward the toe.

Over Under Knot (works best when laces are uneven lengths)

  1. Set the laces flat extending to the opposite side of the shoe from which they originate so that they lay perpendicular to the length of the shoe.
  2. Make a loop with left lace. With the right lace, loop the lace over the left end and then underneath the base of the left loop. It is paramount that the end of the left lace goes through the right side loop.
  3. Take the end of the right lace, and pass it over the right loop and pull through the loop
  4. The resulting knot will likely be uneven. Adjust the knot and loops as needed to obtain the desired look.
  5. The final knot should have even loops, however, the ends of the laces will be uneven if the laces were originally the same length. You can cut the laces or adjust the laces to make one longer than the other before tying.

For those of you who desire to make sure the laces on your moccasins stay tied indefinitely, you may add a dab of super glue to the knot, although we think that takes some of the style and elegance from moccasins. Between the four of those knots you should be able to find one that suits your style. If not, there are a number of other ways to tie moccasin laces.

We hope you found this guide useful. If you have any questions, please ask us in the comments.

Yours In Service,

The Jay Butler Team

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