How To Lace HOKA shoes? [2024]

HOKA shoes are a popular athletic and casual shoe brand known for their thick, cushioned midsoles and meta-rocker shape, which makes it easier to transition through the gait cycle. While HOKA shoes promote comfort with their signature cushioning system, getting the right lace and fit for your foot type is also important. The way you lace up your HOKA shoes can impact stability, support, and preventing blisters during your workout.

Understanding HOKA Shoe Structure

Before lacing up your HOKAs, it’s helpful to understand their basic structure. Most HOKA shoes contain:

• An upper mesh or knit material that wraps around your foot. This area needs to fit snugly when laced up.
• A padded ankle collar lined with memory foam for comfort.
• A gusseted tongue that helps debris from getting inside the shoe.
• Their signature thick midsole foam that absorbs impact.
• A rubber traction outsole.

Getting the right adjustment with the laces helps lock the foot in place to get that signature HOKA ride.

Choosing the Right Lacing Technique

The way you tie your HOKA shoes depends on the shoe style and what feels most comfortable for your foot. Some techniques work better if you have narrow feet, while others provide more stability for flatter, wider feet. Common ways to lace HOKAs include:

The Standard Criss-Cross Lacing Method

This basic criss-cross shoelace technique works for most HOKA shoe models. Simply criss-cross the laces up the shoe and tie with a bow at the top. Make sure not to tighten the laces too tight over the toe box area – you want your toes to have some wiggle room.

The Heel Lock (or Heel Hugger) Lacing Technique

This style focuses pressure around the heels and ankles for a more secure fit. After lacing up the bottom eyelets normally, you crisscross the laces on the next set of eyelets, skipping the adjacent horizontal eyelets. Then resume the normal criss-cross pattern up to the top eyelets. This creates a “pocket” around the heel for a locked-in feel.

The Over-Under Lacing Method

This method is similar to the standard crisscross style, except you alternate threading the laces over and under each eyelet as you work your way up. This puts more direct pressure across the midfoot for people who need extra stability or have flatter arches.

Using the Runner’s Loop Lacing Style

This style takes pressure off the front of the foot by incorporating a small loop made about halfway up the lace eyelets. Simply thread the lace through the eyelet like normal until you reach the eyelet you want the loop on. Then make a little loop facing horizontally and thread the other side of the lace vertically through that loop and up through the eyelet above it. Resume criss-crossing to the top.

Picking the Right Laces

Types of laces can also impact HOKA shoe fit – most come with standard flat laces, but some people opt for rounded laces for extra comfort. Other choices include:

• Elastic laces – these stretchy shoelaces don’t need to be tied and flex with your foot through the gait cycle. Best for casual use.
• No-tie Kevlar laces – these slim, strong lace styles have a knot attached at the ends. You simply adjust the tension and tuck the knot into a lace garage on the shoe when the fit feels right. Ideal for triathletes and runners.
• Hybrid “lock laces” – these contain elastic ends with a middle stretchy lace section that doesn’t need tying. Slip your foot in the shoe then adjust the tension with the lock toggle. Versatile for sport or leisure.

Lacing Tips and Tricks

Here are some extra shoe lacing tips when putting on your HOKA shoes:

• Make sure the tongue is centered before lacing up.
• Start from the bottom eyelets and work upwards for better leverage, centering the tongue as you go.
• Keep even pressure on both the medial and lateral sides as you tighten.
• Stop if you feel pain, numbness or tingling – that means laces are too tight.
• Tie with a symmetrical bow at the top and tucked back into the shoe to prevent tripping.
• Retie shoes before a run to account for foot swelling and keep an optimal snug fit.
• Wash shoelaces occasionally to prevent dirt and buildup over time.

Getting the perfect lace on your HOKA shoes may take some trial and error. Think about foot type, shoe style, lacing technique and lace material when dialing in your fit. Taking the time to properly lace your shoes makes a big difference in comfort, performance and preventing injury as the miles add up.

Conclusion

The way you lace up your athletic or casual HOKA shoes impacts stability, support and preventing blisters. Test out different shoelace techniques to see what feels best – from the basic criss-cross to advanced methods like the heel lock or runners loop.

You can also experiment with round vs. flat laces or no-tie elastic options for performance and convenience. Focus on centering the tongue, keeping even pressure and tying symmetrical bows or tucking excess lace back into the shoes. Properly laced HOKAs will become an extension of your foot through every stride.

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