Tying your shoes is easy, right?
It's something we all learned how to do when we were little, and we've been doing it the same way for decades.
But according to podiatrist Tony Gavin, who is also the CEO of Osgo Healthcare, almost all of us will have spent our entire lives tying our shoes in completely the wrong way - as there are different approaches for different feet.
Tony told Fabulous Digital that while most of us tie our shoes in the same way, there's actually six different methods for lacing up your favourite trainers depending on the shape of foot you have.
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So if you've ever felt as though your shoes are too tight, too loose, or don't give you enough support - you might want to check out a different tying style.
Wide feet
For those of us with feet that are wider than most, Tony says it's important to use a lacing technique that loosens the shoe and gives the food more space for a more comfortable fit.
The expert claims that you should lace the shoe with a crisscross pattern through every other eyelet, as this will allow for more space thanks to the eyelets that haven't been laced.
Wide forefoot
If it's only the front of your feet that are wide, your goal in lacing is to create more space in the toe box, but not toward the heel.
Tony says you should begin by threading the shoelace only through the sides, but when you get to the mid-foot, start tying with a crisscross pattern to bring the material of the shoe closer together at the top.
Flat feet
Anyone who has flat feet - which is are feet with a very low or no arch - will want to prevent symptoms such as aching in the arch of the foot.
To help with this, Tony says to try lacing from the lowest eyelets using the crisscross technique.
Instead of lacing all the way up, you then only lace through every other eyelet until you reach the top of the shoe.
Narrow feet
Tony says people with narrow feet require a much tighter fit than others, so he suggests lacing your shoes in two crisscross patterns that skip just one set of eyelets in the middle.
He said: "Begin by lacing the shoes with a crisscross. Skip an eyelet and thread the shoelaces in a crisscross fashion. Lace with the usual crisscross pattern and tie up the shoe."
Toe pain
No matter what kind of foot shape you have, you could be prone to toe pain if you don't lace your shoes properly.
According to the expert, there's a special tying method that is designed to lift the toe box to give your toes more space, and in turn, alleviate any pain from your toes being squished together.
To start, lace the shoelace from the big toe to the top eyelet on the opposite side. Then thread the other side of the shoelace at each bottom diagonally and at the top parallel to each hole.
Swollen feet
Tony's final lacing tip is for those of us who suffer from swollen feet.
The pattern is designed to evenly distribute the stretch in the shoe for a more comfortable fit, which can relieve any pressure the shoe could be causing - as this can contribute to the swelling.
Tony said: "Lace the shoelaces in parallel fashion without the standard crisscross. Thread by feeding the shoelaces underneath every other eyelet."
For each of Tony's lacing tips, you then simply need to tie your shoes in a bow as you normally would, and you're good to go!
Hopefully, these hacks will have you strutting your stuff pain-free. Let us know if they worked in the comments below.
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