Re-lacing shoes

If you climb cracks, you will break the laces on your shoes. It’s just a fact. Chances are you’ll likely break the laces on your approach shoes at some point as well. It’s not easy to re-lace shoes without aglets, but with the right tools it is possible.

Before you begin, measure the length of your laces. While you could purchase actual shoe laces (with aglets), cord is cheap, readily available, and sold by the foot at nearly any climbing shop. I recommend 2mm diameter. You won’t be able to choose the color, but at least you can tie your shoes. Take the existing lace out of one your shoes to get the right length. Consider buying one or two extra lengths so you can have a backup always on hand.

Using the other shoe as a guide (mirror it), start re-lacing your shoe. Don’t worry about getting each side perfectly even, but start at the toe and work your way up. You’re going to use tweezers to get the cord through the small diameter holes. Pass your tweezers into the eyelet going the opposite way the lace will go. Grab a bight of cord (passing the end through the opening of the tweezers works as well) and pull. Repeat, repeat, repeat.

When you finish, tie an overhand knot in the end of your laces to prevent them from coming undone. As a bonus, this will make un-tying your shoes exceptionally faster.