I love Converse Hi Tops, but what's up with the long laces on them?

April 6, 2016 9:28 AM

I want to know how I can reduce the length of the laces on my Hi Tops. A few ideas have popped into my head, but most aren't ideal.

I've thought about snipping them with scissors (which I probably would rather not do as the laces would then lack aglets), lacing my shoes in some unconventional way (which I know would be quite a task for me as I suck at lacing shoes in non-standard ways) and buying new, shorter laces (not really ideal for me as I'm kind of—OK very fucking—anal when it comes to this kind of stuff and wouldn't want to use non-Converse laces in my Hi Tops. And the colour would have to be right).

Currently I'm tucking the laces behind the tongues of my shoes but after doing enough walking they tend to become untucked.

Got any suggestions?

posted by GlassHeart to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (17 answers total)

Cut them to your preferred length, then dip the cut end in clear nail polish to make a new aglet-ish end to the shoelace.
posted by Chuckles McLaughy du Haha, the depressed clown at 9:33 AM on April 6, 2016

Buying new laces seems like the easiest approach, but there are lots of ways to create your own aglets if you want to cut them yourself.
posted by zachlipton at 9:33 AM on April 6, 2016

The finest shoelace site on the internets has a whole list of ways to cope with excess length. I've always used the adhesive tape aglet method.
posted by asperity at 9:33 AM on April 6, 2016

The laces are long because some folks like to do fancy lacing on their Chucks.

You can buy replacement aglets (they come in metal as well, but the plastic would be more true to the originals.
posted by whoiam at 9:34 AM on April 6, 2016

The awesomely old-school Chucks Connection website gives you multiple solutions.
posted by Huck500 at 9:36 AM on April 6, 2016

I just double knot mine and they stay tied and out of the way.
posted by AugustWest at 9:39 AM on April 6, 2016

As someone with a super wide foot, the laces on Chucks are barely long enough.

Cut your laces to your preferred length, and then use heat shrink tubing to make new aglets.
posted by mollymayhem at 9:40 AM on April 6, 2016

When I have laces that are too long (common with my narrow flattish feet) I just make the loops long and tie them in an additional bow. Like double-knotting but easier to untie.
posted by supercres at 9:40 AM on April 6, 2016

What we do with my kid's shoes: get the "extra" lace in the middle (at the bottom of the laces), tightly knot it there, and tuck in the loop of extra material. But you could also knot it really well and then actually trim the extra, maybe wrapping a little tape around the knot to protect it. No mucking about with re-finishing the ends this way.
posted by cogitron at 9:46 AM on April 6, 2016

Are these just like... normal white shoelaces? Just buy new ones that are the right length. Shoelaces are cheap and readily available. I know this isn't ideal for you but it's the easiest solution.
posted by brainmouse at 9:59 AM on April 6, 2016

I loop the last section before it hits the top eyelet around the back of the shoe. Works well for me to shorten the laces and keeps them feeling snug.
posted by Magnakai at 10:00 AM on April 6, 2016

There's always the ankle wrap.
posted by Brittanie at 10:35 AM on April 6, 2016

Why not pull the laces through the bottom set of eyelets twice, or even three times?
posted by jamjam at 10:39 AM on April 6, 2016

OK, so for now I'm using the adhesive tape aglet method but in the near future will be ordering clear aglets from Etsy.

Thanks so much, folks. You motherfuckers rock.
posted by GlassHeart at 11:27 AM on April 6, 2016

When not wearing dress shoes, I've worn nothing but low-top Chucks for like 15 years. The long laces drive me crazy! Years ago, when I still biked everywhere, I ditched laces altogether and did the bike tube slip-on conversion (which I highly recommend!). More recently, I was gifted some lace anchors and kinda love them.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 11:34 AM on April 6, 2016

And I always wish Converse would put longer laces in their low-top Chucks, because the laces are NEVER long enough for me.
posted by sarcasticah at 12:24 PM on April 6, 2016

wow, ladh, lace anchors! inner tube laces! I am inspired.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 1:44 PM on April 6, 2016