Look Stylish and Feel Comfortable with the Right Shoe Laces
Laces are essential components of most shoes, including trainers and boots. Picking the right shoe laces is important to give you the right combination of security, comfort, and style. Strength and fashion are also factors to consider while browsing eBay for your ideal laces.
What style of shoe laces will look right?Generally speaking, more formal shoes can be matched with thinner laces, while casual shoes work well with thicker laces. Formal shoes such as Oxfords often have small eyelets, so only narrow laces will fit through easily in any case. Shoe laces for dress wear are often waxed, which gives them a slightly shiny appearance that goes well with highly polished shoes. These can be less appropriate for shoes like hiking boots, where a robust, interwoven design can be more resistant to heavy use. You'll find plenty of affordable laces of all kinds on eBay to fit your needs and preferred style.
What length shoe laces should you pick?Look at the number of pairs of eyelets in your shoes. If there are three pairs, start with 80cm laces, then add 10cm to the required length for every extra pair of eyelets. So, if your shoes have six pairs of eyelets, choose 110cm laces. This works for shoes or trainers with medium spacing between left and right eyelets. If your shoes have a narrower gap, as some dress shoes do, take off 20cm up to six eyelet pairs or 30cm above that size. For widely-spaced eyelets as on some boots, add 20 or 30cm instead. This can vary between brands, so check the manufacturer site for details.
What extra features can you look for?Shoe laces come in all shapes and sizes, but there's more to think about than just making sure you have the right length. Some other options you can consider while browsing on eBay include:
- Material: Natural fibres like leather or cotton give a classic look, but artificial materials like nylon and polyester can be more resistant to fraying if you're doing more than walking around the office.
- Shape: Round laces look elegant and fashionable, especially in formal shoes, but flat styles can be easier to tie securely and may be more hard-wearing.
- Colour: The safe choice is to pick laces the same colour as your shoes, but for leisure use especially a contrasting, bold shade can look very good.
- Tying style: If you like to tie your shoes with a double knot or a fancy bow, you'll need to consider buying slightly longer shoe laces than if you prefer to keep things simple.