Knowing how to lace soccer cleats can take pressure off your instep, give a wide forefoot room and hold your heel in place. With a high instep you lace a window, with a wide forefoot you start one eyelet higher, and with heel slip you use a heel lock. The rule of thumb for tension is that a finger should still fit between the tongue and the laces.
The techniques below are step by step. They fix a small fit problem, not a cleat that does not fit. If you doubt, read how soccer cleats should fit first.
How tight should you lace soccer cleats?
The rule of thumb: a finger should still fit between the tongue and the laces. Too tight gives pressure points on the instep, too loose gives friction and a foot that slides. Pull the laces evenly, from the bottom up.
Do not yank the laces tight to fix a cleat that is too roomy. That damages the eyelets and does not solve the problem. Check first whether the size is right, see soccer cleats that are too small or too big.
How do you lace soccer cleats for a high instep?
With pressure on top of your foot, use a window, also called window lacing or skip lacing. This is how:
- Lace the cleat normally, crisscross, up to just below the pressure spot.
- Skip the cross: run the lace straight up to the next eyelet on the same side.
- Then continue crisscrossing to the top.
This creates a pressure free area over your instep. An alternative is parallel lacing (bar lacing), where the laces run horizontally from side to side and do not cross over the tongue. That gives fewer pressure points.
The lacing zone of a soccer cleat is short, so the effect is smaller than on a running shoe. On cleats with a knit tongue, such as the Puma King 20 and the Nike Phantom 6, the tongue already stretches along, so the effect is smaller. With a separate tongue, as on the Mizuno Morelia, it works better. That last point is our estimate based on construction descriptions. More on this is in our page about soccer cleats for a high instep.
How do you lace soccer cleats for a wide forefoot?
Start one eyelet higher than the bottom one and then lace normally, without pulling the forefoot tight. That gives the wide forefoot more room. If your heel slips as a result, finish with a heel lock. If you keep having complaints at the front of your foot, our guide on pain in the toes and ball of the foot helps you look for the cause.
A lace does not fix a last that is too narrow. If the forefoot pinches at the sides, a wider cleat is the real solution. See our picks of the best soccer cleats for wide feet and our page on soccer cleats that are too tight.
How do you prevent heel slip with laces?
Use the heel lock, also known as a runner’s knot, heel lock or lace lock. This is how it works:
- Lace up to the top two eyelets.
- Pass each end through the top eyelet on the same side, so that a loop forms on both sides.
- Cross the ends and pass them through the loop on the opposite side.
- Pull down and tie the lace.
This holds your heel more firmly. It also helps with a cleat that is slightly too long. More about this is in our guide to a heel that slips out of a soccer cleat.
Which other lace knots help?
- Surgeon’s knot: make a double wrap at the eyelet you want. The tension below that point stays fixed, so you can keep the heel tight and the instep loose.
- Asymmetric lacing: move the crosses away from a sensitive spot, for example with pressure on the side of the foot or the little toe. Skip an eyelet on one side.
- Loose instep, firm midfoot: tighten the midfoot gradually and leave the instep looser.
- Wider laces: with a narrow foot in a roomy cleat, wider soccer laces with technical socks can help, so you do not have to pull as hard.
What if you have a wide forefoot and a high instep?
Combine the techniques. Start one eyelet higher for the forefoot, lace a window below the pressure spot on the instep and save the heel lock for when the heel starts to shift. A cleat with a separate tongue and deep lacing gives the most room for this, a laceless cleat the least. How laceless works out with wide feet is in laceless soccer cleats for wide feet.
Why do my laces keep coming undone?
That is usually down to the knot or the lace itself. A double knot or a surgeon’s knot lasts longer. You can tuck the ends under the lace loops. A lace that is smooth or worn can be replaced with a new one.
How do you check that the lacing is right?
Lace the cleat, stand up and walk a bit. Then do a few pivoting movements and a short sprint. If you feel no pressure point on the instep, your heel stays in place and a finger still fits under the laces, the lacing is right. If not, lace again and try a different technique.
What if laces are not enough?
Then the cleat probably does not fit. Take the cleat advisor for a model that fits your foot. If pain lasts longer than a few weeks, or you keep getting blisters, see a podiatrist or your doctor. We give fit advice, not medical advice.