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This Is the Most Affordable Way to Upgrade a Pair of Boots

A good pair of boots can last a lifetime. But who said anything about the laces?

How-to-Care-for-Leather-Boots-in-Winter-gear-patrol-full-lead-01Photo by Chase Pellerin for Gear Patrol

By Evan Malachosky

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A good pair of boots can last a lifetime. But who said anything about their laces?

Even if you love that came on your boots, it makes sense to keep a few extra sets on hand. Laces break, though you can minimize the risk by upgrading to leather, waxed cotton or Taslan. What’s more, they rarely cost more than $10 to $15.

Types of Boot Laces

Most times, laces are clearly labeled — either round, flat, waxed, leather or Taslan.

Round

Round laces are wider, rounded strings that taper at the tip.

Flat

Flat laces can sit flush with a tabletop. They’re wide but easy to push through eyelets. They’re most commonly seen on classic hiker boots.

Waxed

Waxed laces are the preferred finishing touch for dress bootmakers. They are usually thin, easy to use and pretty durable, too.

Leather

Leather laces come standard on a ton of well-made boots. They’re thicker, which can make them harder to tie, but they’re arguably the most durable.

Taslan

Taslan is a high-tech woven polyester fabric. It’s wound tightly to prevent pilling and improve its overall durability. You’ll find Taslan laces on most Timberland boots, for example.

Best Flat Laces

Danner’s firetruck red Flat Laces are an icon of Aprés-Ski. They pair well with the brand’s classic Mountain Light Boots but also work well with boots from J.Crew, Red Wing and even White’s.

You’ll find these in a number of lengths but the standard size is 63 inches.

  • Length: 63 inches
  • Material: Cotton
  • Type: Flat

Best Flat Waxed Laces

Waxed cotton laces, especially flat ones, are most prevalent on dress boots, which skew sleek and professional. That’s because flat wax cotton laces don’t take up space, and they don’t steal the show from the boots they’re tying together.

The ones that came stock on Viberg boots are excllent and you can buy them for your boots, too, no matter the brand.

  • Length: 60 inches
  • Material: Cotton
  • Type: Flat Waxed

Best Leather Laces

Leather laces are expensive but also durable, which means they’re typically laced to boots designed with similar longevity. This pair comes from Nick’s, one of America’s most revered bootmakers.

  • Length: 90 or 108 inches
  • Material: Leather
  • Type: Leather

Best Taslan Laces

Most modern work boots come with Taslan laces, which are made from anti-pill polyester weave. They’re durable, easy to lace and identifiable by their dual-color design.

If you’re lace hunting on a budget, look no further than Red Wing’s Taslan Laces, a super-strong option with a signature, work-centric look.

  • Length: 36 inches
  • Material: Polyester
  • Type: Taslan

Best Round Laces

Danner’s Round Laces are as stock as they get — in a good way. They’re easy to lace, difficult to rip and come in a few lengths.

  • Length: 63 inches
  • Material: Nylon
  • Type: Round

Best Round Waxed Laces

While there are plenty of flat waxed laces, round waxed laces are less abundant.

Guarded Goods, the go-to for the bootmakers at Grant Stone, are a good option, and they’re heavily waxed for true waterproofing.

  • Length: 54 inches
  • Material: Cotton
  • Type: Round Waxed

How to Pick the Right Length

Whenever you buy laces, you need to be mindful of how long they are. If you don’t take length into account, you could end up with laces that need to be wrapped around your ankle when tied, or, even worse, prove too short. You can roughly estimate the proper lace length by counting how many eyelet pairs there are. (Total number of eyelets divided by two.)

Generally speaking, boots with eight or 10 total eyelets (four or five pairs) need 36-inch laces; boots with 12 eyelets (six pairs) need 45-inch laces; boots with 14 eyelets (7 pairs) need 54-inch laces; and those with 16 eyelets or more (eight or more pairs) need 63-inch laces or longer.

Again, this is simply a rough estimate, so always go bigger if you’re in between.

What Are Speed Hooks?

Instead of the usual metal eyelets most shoes are equipped with, speed hooks are metal hooks that make lacing, as the name implies, speedy.

Rather than having to fuss about, threading each lace carefully through each eyelet, speed hooks allow the wearer to simply wrap the laces around each hook. They’re especially useful for tall boots that require a bit more time and dexterity to slip into and out of.

Dress Smart

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