Knowing how to lace football boots properly can take pressure off your instep, give a wide forefoot more room and hold your heel in place. With a high instep you lace a window, with a wide forefoot you start an 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 tongue and laces.
Below the techniques are explained step by step. They solve a minor fit problem, not a boot that does not fit. If you are unsure, read how football boots should fit first.
How tight should you lace football boots?
The rule of thumb: a finger should still fit between tongue and laces. Too tight gives pressure points over the instep, too loose gives friction and a sliding foot. Pull the laces evenly, from the bottom up.
Do not yank the laces tight to fix a boot that is too big. That damages the eyelets and does not solve the problem. Check the size first, see football boots too small or too big.
How to lace football boots for a high instep
With pressure on top of your foot, use a window, also called window lacing or skip lacing. This is how you do it:
- Lace normally, crossed, up to just below the pressure spot.
- Skip the cross: run the lace straight up to the next eyelet on the same side.
- Then carry on crossed to the top.
This leaves a pressure-free area over your instep. An alternative is parallel (bar) lacing, where the laces run horizontally from side to side and do not cross over the tongue. That gives fewer pressure points.
The lace throat of a football boot is short, so the effect is smaller than on a running shoe. On boots with a knit tongue, such as the Puma King 20 and the Nike Phantom 6, the tongue already stretches and the effect is smaller. On a separate tongue it works better, as on the Mizuno Morelia II. That last point is our estimate based on how the boots are built. More on this in our guide to football boots for a high instep.
How to lace football boots for a wide forefoot
Start one eyelet higher than the bottom one, then lace normally, without pulling the forefoot tight. That gives a wide forefoot more room. If your heel comes loose because of it, finish with a heel lock. If you keep getting forefoot problems, our page on sore forefoot and toes in football boots helps you look for the cause.
Laces do not fix a last that is too narrow. If the sides of your forefoot pinch, a wider boot is the real solution. See what to do when football boots feel too tight.
How to stop heel slip with lacing
Use the heel lock, also known as a runner’s loop, heel lock or lace lock. It works like this:
- Lace up to the top two eyelets.
- Thread each end through the top eyelet on the same side, so a loop forms on both sides.
- Cross the ends and thread them through the loop on the opposite side.
- Pull down and tie the lace.
This holds your heel more firmly. It also works for a boot that is slightly too long. You will find more on this in our page about a heel slipping out of football boots.
Which other lacing knots help?
- Surgeon’s knot: make a double wrap at the eyelet you want. The tension below that point stays put, so you can keep the heel firm and the instep loose.
- Asymmetric lacing: move the crosses away from a sore 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 boot, wider football laces and 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 an 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 slide. A boot with a separate tongue and deep lacing gives the most room for this, a laceless boot the least. How laceless boots turn out for wide feet is covered in our page on laceless football boots for wide feet.
Why do my laces keep coming undone?
It 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 laces on the boot. A lace that is smooth or worn can be replaced with a new one.
How do you check whether the lacing is right?
Lace the boot up, stand and walk a short distance. Then do a few turning movements and a short sprint. If you feel no pressure point on the instep, your heel stays where it is and a finger still fits under the laces, it is right. If not, lace again and try another technique. The where does my boot pinch tool can help you work out which spot is the problem.
What if laces are not enough?
Then the boot probably does not fit. Use the football boot adviser to find a model that suits your foot. If pain lasts for more than a few weeks or you keep getting blisters, see a podiatrist or your GP.