Did you know that the way you lace your child's and even your own shoes may affect the health of your feet? Depending on the sorts of activities those feet are participating in, different ways of lacing shoes will be more beneficial, or less detrimental. We found a variety of several websites dedicated to lacing techniques - some for fun and some for health. If you don't find this interesting, your junior high student may, as different lacing techniques are of high interest in the early-teen crowd.

We'd like to highlight some of the techniques that will benefit your or your child's feet in specific activities:

Hiking/Biking Lacing

This lacing technique distributes pressure evenly and also keeps knots and ends to the side, away from snagging undergrowth or bicycle chains and cranks. Your daughter might like this look because the bow looks sort of "cute" to the side of the shoe. To learn the specifics on how to lace this way, here are the instructions.

Ladder Lacing - Stays Tight!

This lacing technique is for those of you whose child has trouble keeping his shoes on! While it's difficult to tighten initially, once it's tightly on the foot, it will stay put, which is a great plus for kids that just can't keep them on. It also has a fun, distinctive look to it. To learn the specifics on how to do the Ladder Lace, here are the instructions.

Army Lacing - For More Flex in the Foot

A stiff foot can cause cramps, so for your little Army Man, this is the technique used by the British, Dutch, French, and Brazilian armies! Used often with combat boots, this allows for more flex in stiff shoes for intense, feet-involved activites - oh say... climbing trees? Recommended for some strenuous playground activity, or for brand-new, stiff shoes. To learn how to do the Army Lace, here are the instructions.

Zipper Lacing - For In-Line Skates, Rollerblades, and Ice Skates

It is essential when skating that you have great ankle support, and the only way to insure that support and prevent a sprain or break is to wear skates tightly. This is the best technique for children and people with brittle bones that are about to hop into the rink or skate around the park. To learn this technique, here are the instructions.

We hope these techniques and others will be a benefit to you and your child. While it may be the last thing you think about, lacing can be the first thing to prevent a sprain or cramp! To learn about other techniques, visit Ian's Shoelace Site.