When we're about four or five years old (maybe a bit older, maybe a bit younger) we focus a lot of our mental energy on shoe laces and the tying thereof.
Then we do it once, twice, three times and confidence in our newfound ability grows.
Soon we forget what all the fuss was about and move onto the mechanics of bigger and better things, like bicycles.
Very few of us ever pay any serious attention to shoe laces again.
We may re-lace shoes when we buy them, but we probably do it automatically, without giving any thought to form, function and usability.
Some people do spend time thinking about shoe laces: about their diversity and usefulness outside of the shoe, about the aesthetics of lace tying, and about the mathematics governing lacing techniques.
It's not exactly a science, but it's pretty close.
Did you know that mathematically, it's possible to tie an average shoe with 6 pairs of eyelets, in 2 trillion ways? It's true, but not all 2 trillion ways are practical.
On his shoelace site, Ian Fieggen says that we need to institute some sensible constraints to find the true number of techniques.
Some of the constraints that he suggests include: oLaces should pass through each eyelet once.
oEach eyelet should contribute to pulling the shoe together.
oThe pattern formed should be stable.
oThe laces shouldn't be difficult to tighten or loosen.
oIn the end, the result should be visually pleasing.
He cites Polster's calculation, which puts the number of practical lacing techniques at 43,200.
Fieggen includes 33 on his website.
He also has shoe lace comparisons, ratings and interesting news stories involving shoe laces.
According to Fieggen's site some of the most popular techniques include: oZipper lacing, named because they look like a giant zip when all tied up.
This method holds the laces firmly in place, and is ideal for lacing skates (roller and ice).
A drawback is that they are awkward to tighten, but they make up for it aesthetically.
Their rating is 4.
4 stars, with 11.
8 votes per week.
oStraight (easy) lacing, which is straight bar lacing made simple, where one end of the lace runs from the bottom to the top, while the other end traverses all of the eyelets.
While this method is neat and easy, it can only be used for shoes with even pairs of eyelets.
The main disadvantage is that the ends shift, resulting in uneven lengths on either side.
This method rates 4.
5 stars, with 23.
8 votes per week.
oLattice lacing, is great for shoes with a wide gap, such as boots and some sneakers, and comes in two variations: one for short laces and one for long laces.
Lattice lacing scores highly for decoration but can be difficult to tighten.
Rates 4.
6 stars, with 24.
2 votes per week.
The most common method is the Criss Cross or zig zag, or traditional method.
It's the one I use.
It's also the one all my nearest and dearest use.
Quite simply, your laces criss cross their way up your shoe until you tie them in a neat bow at the top.
It only rates 3.
7 stars though, and gets only 8.
7 votes per week.
Fieggen addresses a lot of lace related issues, not only lacing techniques.
If you struggle with untidy bows, he can show you how to neaten them, if your knots keep coming undone he demonstrates methods to keep them tight.
But he's not the only one.
The Net abounds with sites dedicated to the humble shoe lace.
What ever your bother, a simple two-word search will see you right.
Type "shoe laces" and broaden your world.
Recommended site: http://www.
fieggen.
com/shoelace/lacing.
htm