Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot
Ian's Secure Shoelace Knot requires nearly twice the tension to come undone compared to standard knots.
Ian Fieggen's secure shoelace knot, also called the double slip knot, is a symmetrical method that creates a knot resistant to coming undone on its own. The technique involves starting with a standard left-over-right starting knot, forming two loops (bunny ears), crossing them, wrapping each around the other, and threading both ends through the central hole before tightening. Testing shows this knot needs almost double the tension to pull apart versus the Ian Knot or standard shoelace knots. The finished knot features a distinctive double wrap around the middle. It suits active use cases like sports, mountain climbing, and wet conditions, and works with various shoelace types including round, slippery laces.
What HN community is saying
Users report adopting the knot years ago with lasting success. The thread's center of gravity emphasizes that most shoelace failures stem not from knot design but from tying the granny knot instead of a reef knot, a common error with the starting knot direction (left-over-right versus right-over-left). One commenter switched after decades and eliminated multiple daily untieings with just a starting-knot correction. Users also note lace quality matters: stretchy military boot laces hold better than typical fashion trainer laces. Several describe the knot or correction as genuinely life-changing, though one humorously notes the burden of now noticing others tie granny knots.