Are you dealing with shoelaces that are too long? This post will show you a cheap and easy way to shorten them yourself.

I recently ordered a new pair of suede bucks. They were perfect except one little thing – the shoelaces were way too long.

Even after double-knotting, the loops looked like giant bunny ears, flopping around with every step.

Not only do long laces look bad, but they get caught on things and are easy to step on. They seem to come untied constantly.

So, instead of buying new shoelaces, I decided to shorten them. After a bit of searching, I found this amazing website dedicated to all things shoelace-related — different knots, types of laces, and even how to deal with excess length.

The whole operation, including a quick trip to the hardware store, took about a half hour, and it only cost $4. Here’s a quick overview of how I did it:

Table of Contents

What You Need

What You Need

You need your shoes, a pair of scissors, a marker, measuring tape (optional), a lighter and at least two inches of heat shrink tubing.

Step 1: Measure & Mark Your Laces

Step 1: Measure & Mark Your Laces

Tie your shoes so the loops are the right size, then use a marker or pen to mark the excess length on both ends (this is where you’ll cut the laces).

Tip: Shoelace Lengths

Tip: Shoelace Lengths

Shoelaces come in standard sizes like 37 inches. I ended up taking 3 inches off each end of my laces.

Step 2: Remove Shoelaces

Step 2: Remove Shoelaces

This step is easy. Just take the shoelaces out of each shoe.

Step 3: Cut Your Laces

Step 3: Cut Your Laces

Cut your laces where you marked them in step 1. Take an equal amount off of each end. My 37″ laces were shortened to 31″.

Step 4: Measure & Cut Your Tubing

Step 4: Measure & Cut Your Tubing

Your aglets (tips) should be 1/2 inch long. Measure your tubing and cut it into 4 pieces (each a half inch long).