How To Lace On Cloud Shoes
Many runners purchase a shoe, lace it exactly as they did every previous pair, and then never give it another thought. That works well until a problem arises, such as pressure across the top of your foot or a heel that slips with each step. On Cloud shoes arrive with a standard lacing pattern, yet that pattern is not the only choice, nor is it always suited to your foot shape. This guide walks through the default setup, then covers a few adjustments for common problems like heel slip, a narrow foot, or pressure across the instep. None of these take more than a couple of minutes to try, and undoing a bad lacing job is just as quick if it doesn’t work out for you.
The Standard Lacing Pattern
On Cloud running shoes ship with a criss-cross pattern, the same one found on most athletic shoes. The lace goes diagonally from one eyelet to the one across and slightly higher on the opposite side, continuing up the shoe until it reaches the top two eyelets, where it is tied with a standard knot or bow. https://onrunningg.us/on-cloud/ pattern distributes pressure fairly evenly over the top of the foot, which is suitable for most people. If your foot is a fairly average width and you haven’t had problems with previous running shoes, there’s no real reason to change this. Try a short run first before deciding whether an adjustment is worth making. Some issues that seem like a lacing problem actually come from the sizing rather than the lace pattern itself.
Fixing Heel Slip
Heel slip occurs when your foot shifts up and down within the shoe during every step, and this can lead to blisters on longer runs. Most runners turn first to a solution known as a heel lock, or a runner’s loop. Rather than crossing the laces over the top two eyelets, run each lace end into the eyelet on its own side, forming a small loop on either side of the shoe.Pass the laces through the loop on the opposite side, then pull both ends to tighten the loops down against the shoe. This locks the heel into place without tightening the rest of the foot. Tie off as usual once both sides feel even. It takes a couple of tries to get the tension right, so test it on a short walk before heading out for a longer run.
Easing Pressure Across the Instep
Certain runners experience pressure or numbness along the top of the foot, typically at the point where the laces pass over the highest section of the arch. When this occurs, leave that single row of eyelets unlaced rather than running the laces straight across it.↻ Instead, run the lace up one side on the outside of the eyelet, skip to the next eyelet on the same side, then cross over as normal above that point.This creates a small gap where the pressure was building up, without loosening the rest of the lacing. It works especially well for runners with a higher arch, since that’s usually where the tightness shows up first. If the pressure spot is lower down near the toes instead, the same trick works there too, just applied to a lower pair of eyelets.
Adjusting for a Narrow or Wide Foot
People with narrower feet often notice that the shoe still feels roomy even after they cinch the laces tight, because there’s excess space on either side of the foot that lacing can’t eliminate. Threading all the eyelets instead of skipping any, and tightening evenly from the bottom upward, helps close some of that gap, though it can’t truly substitute for a smaller size if the shoe is actually too large.Those with wider feet face the reverse issue, in which the usual criss-cross lacing squeezes the two sides of the upper together too much. Easing the tension a bit at the bottom eyelets while keeping the top ones snug frequently eases the pressure without causing the heel to slip. It’s a matter of balance, so plan on tweaking things once or twice before they feel right during a run, not just while standing still.
Getting the Tension Right Before You Run
The tension is just as important as the pattern itself. When laces are cinched too tightly over the midfoot, they can cut off circulation during longer runs, causing toes to go numb midway through. If the laces are too loose, the foot slides around inside the shoe, wasting energy with each stride and raising the risk of blisters. One useful test is to slip two fingers beneath the laces after tying them. If they slide in snugly with little extra room, the tension is about right.Once the shoe is tied, try walking around the house or jogging in place for a minute. Making small tweaks is much easier before you’re a mile away from home. Since it’s common for one foot to swell more than the other during a run, you might need slightly different tension on each side instead of tying both shoes identically.
When To Try a Different Lace Entirely
If tweaking the lacing pattern fails to fix the issue, the laces themselves could be contributing to it. Compared with round laces, flat ones usually grip a knot more securely and are less prone to coming loose during a run. Certain runners opt for elastic or lock laces to get a slip-on fit, but doing so takes away the option of adjusting tension in specific areas of the foot, which is important if you’ve been relying on pattern changes to relieve a particular pressure point.Swapping the stock lace for a slightly longer one can also help when you’ve added extra crossings, such as the heel lock, and realize there isn’t enough length left to tie a firm knot. Running shops frequently stock replacement laces in several lengths, so before purchasing a replacement it’s worth measuring the stock lace to confirm the new one will be long enough for whichever pattern you ultimately choose.