Are You Using Your Shoes’ Most Important Feature?

Today is a short one, but an important one.

A lot of runners don’t know why their running shoe has an extra lace hole that almost nobody uses.

That final hole is there for one purpose:

The heel lock, also known as the runner’s loop or lace lock.

Different names, same technique.

Why use a heel lock?

Using this lacing method can noticeably improve your running experience. It provides a few key benefits:

1. It sets your foot properly in the back of the shoe

This keeps your toes free to move and prevents your foot from sliding forward, a common cause of painful toes or black toenails.

2. It adds a bit of ankle stability

By looping the laces this way, you “wrap” the shoe more securely around your ankle, giving you a touch more support.

3. It prevents heel slippage

Locking your foot back in the shoe reduces upward heel movement, one of the main causes of Achilles-area blisters.

How to make a heel lock

It’s simple:

1. Start with your normal lacing.

2. Thread each lace from the outside in through the unused top eyelet on the same side. This creates a small loop.

3. Cross the laces and pass each lace from the top down through the opposite loop.

4. Pull the loops tight until your heel feels secure.

5. Finish with your normal knot (or a double knot if you have plenty of lace left).

Here’s an illustration of the process:

Try it out and see how it changes the feel of your shoe.

If it still doesn’t feel right, there’s a good chance the shoe itself isn’t the right match for your mechanics. That’s exactly what I help runners with. Finding the perfect shoe for their running style.

You can learn more here.

Thank you for reading,
Tim 👟

P.S. If your shoes are fine but you’re still struggling with hip stability, I launched a new 4-week “10 minutes a day” hip strength program last Friday. You can grab it now with a $10 Black Friday discount using the code BLACKFRIDAY.