Why ?

[Rick Potter]

While in an introspective mood last nite, I was stopped in the middle of solving world problems by the seemingly simple question..........Why is it always my LEFT shoelace that comes untied?

World peace? No problem.
Chocolate or Vanilla? Easy.
Glass half full or half empty? Simple logic.

Shoelaces? Sleepless night.

[Scott Shepherd]

I'd take it one step further. Who's the idiot that thought round shoelaces would be a good idea?

[Jim Koepke]

What has always bugged me is after tightening a shoelace the other one all of a sudden also decides to be loose.

jtk

[Bob Turkovich]

Why?

Why knot? :p

[Wade Lippman]

While in an introspective move last nite, I was stopped in the middle of solving world problems by the seemingly simple question..........Why is it always my LEFT shoelace that comes untied?

Thank you so very much for posting this!!!
I bought new shoes last year and take my dog for a daily 2 mile walk. The right lace never comes loose, but the left does about 75% of the time. I tried getting it really tight, but that cut it to maybe 50%.
I then tried tying the left the opposite of what feels natural, and that works. It stays tied that way.
Only problem is that I am now not feeling which is natural.

I thought I was going crazy! It was never a problem before, and why on earth should it be now. But you have the same problem! Bless you.
Global warming? It is responsible for everything else. If it is the cause of our last two winters being the worst on record, then why not left shoelaces coming untied.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

If you were in the earth's southern hemisphere, it would be the right shoe lace that comes undone. It's the same reason the sinks drain with the opposite rotation there.

[Chris Padilla]

Are you left or right-handed?

[Mark Stutz]

Use Velcro. Problem solved. No more sleepless nights.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Use Velcro. Problem solved. No more sleepless nights.

+44 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shawn Pixley]

The night before last I had a series of dreams about the word "atavistic". Not one dream but many. Why is that? Who dreams about a word?

[ken masoumi]

I'm left handed and believe it or not it is my right shoelace that comes loose. anything strange that happens to my right I always associate it with me being a lefty , makes me sleep well at night.

[Mark Blatter]

If you were in the earth's southern hemisphere, it would be the right shoe lace that comes undone. It's the same reason the sinks drain with the opposite rotation there.

Not true Grasshopper.

I have the same issue, with my right shoe. It comes untied at least once a day, while the left one never does. I live about 500 miles south of you Ken so am clearly in the northern hemisphere....I think.

Could this be an issue of humidity, such as expansion and contraction with wood?

[Scott Shepherd]

Let's narrow this down.

Are we talking about round laces or flat laces that are coming untied so frequently?

I bet the numbers are 80% round, which is why I'd like to met the person that thought round laces were a good idea.

[Frederick Skelly]

If you were in the earth's southern hemisphere, it would be the right shoe lace that comes undone. It's the same reason the sinks drain with the opposite rotation there.

Hey, can any of our Aussie buddies confirm that your RIGHT shoe always comes untied? If so, I'm nominating Fitzgerald for a physics prize. Genius Ken! Sheer Genius!

[Frederick Skelly]

The night before last I had a series of dreams about the word "atavistic". Not one dream but many. Why is that? Who dreams about a word?

Architects? :)

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Not true Grasshopper.

I have the same issue, with my right shoe. It comes untied at least once a day, while the left one never does. I live about 500 miles south of you Ken so am clearly in the northern hemisphere....I think.

Could this be an issue of humidity, such as expansion and contraction with wood?

That's because you are in the "hemisphere" south of Boise.....

[Rick Potter]

OK, narrowing it down, here.

1. I am right handed.

2. Northern hemisphere, although lots of locals aren't.

3. Flat shoe laces, not round.

4. No need for Velcro, I just tie them as tight as I can get them, and slip them on and off without untying.

5. I have actually put wood glue on the knot after tying them....no help.

6. Atavistic? Well, I am getting close to being ancient, and I do live in the ancestral home, which we have redone (without architectural help).

[Michael Weber]

"Ted Talks" has a brief video on the correct way to tie shoes so they stay tied. It's a definite improvement, just a strange feeling when your doing it. Takes a little practice although it's a very simple change.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Hey, can any of our Aussie buddies confirm that your RIGHT shoe always comes untied? If so, I'm nominating Fitzgerald for a physics prize. Genius Ken! Sheer Genius!

Asking an Aussie that is like asking the person committed to an insane asylum if they are crazy, don't you think? I mean, go visit for yourself....they talk funny and they drive on the wrong side of the road for goodness sake! ......and then there's this vegemite thing......

[David Ragan]

if it is usually the other side than the dominant hand, logic dictates that there is something at work here/there. Perhaps (because I overweight), when I have to reach over to the non-dominant side to tie off, I don't exact the same care that I give the dominant (right) side?

[Alan Rutherford]

I'd take it one step further. Who's the idiot that thought round shoelaces would be a good idea?

Works for the guy who specified that the laces in new shoes should be a foot longer than you need.

[Frederick Skelly]

Asking an Aussie that is like asking the person committed to an insane asylum if they are crazy, don't you think? I mean, go visit for yourself....they talk funny and they drive on the wrong side of the road for goodness sake! ......and then there's this vegemite thing......

Im rollin on the floor laughin my tail off, Ken! Too darn funny.
Fred

[Rick Potter]

I am resurrecting this thread because ........I HAVE THE DEFINITIVE ANSWER (honestly, yup, I figured it out).

Sitting on my Lazyboy throne, I looked down at my shoes, and the answer was staring me in the face. No, not the Cocker Spaniel on my lap, the shoes, the shoes. I usually sit there with my ankles crossed, right foot resting on the left foot. I wiggle a lot, making the right shoe rub on the left shoe, working the lace loose.

Now that I have solved one of the mysteries of the universe, I can go back to working on world peace, even though I have never entered a beauty pageant. No mystery there.

[Mike Null]

I didn't realize I was so old until one day I stopped in a Panera (St. Louis Bread Co.) for a coffee and a bear claw. As I was walking to my table an elderly lady said "sir, your shoe lace is untied. Would you like me to tie it for you?".

That's when I went down to DSW and bought a pair of Rockports sans laces.

[Lee Schierer]

I used to have the shoe laces coming untied problem, but I solved it. The solution was simple. Once you tie the conventional double slipknot, take the loops and tie an simple criss cross. Half a square knot does it and they stay tied until you decide to take them off.

[Dan Hunkele]

Penny Loafers. That's my final answer.

[Stan Calow]

Sometimes its good to know that other people share your problems.

[Jim Koepke]

As I was walking to my table an elderly lady said "sir, your shoe lace is untied. Would you like me to tie it for you?".

Maybe she was a cougar trying to hit on you for a date.

jtk

[Ken Fitzgerald]

My wife went to Arby's a couple years ago. The young teen working the counter totaled up her purchase, informed her of the amount due, proudly adding "I gave you the Old Folks discount." She paid him......and let him live.

I am proud of that woman for promoting world peace.....

[Mel Fulks]

Pretty funny,Ken. I'm betting the employee has not had the Dale Carnegie training.

[Prashun Patel]

Because you only tie the other one RIGHT.

[Joe Tilson]

Doggone you guys, if I could I'd shoot you with a wet noodle gun. I took me four years to learn how to tie my shoes the right way. Now You've got me trying to tie them the left way, mumble, grumble, growl, darn it, man it's like I,m three again:confused::D

[Stewie Simpson]

No point asking us Aussies about shoe laces. The only footwear we use flip flops. :D

[Tony Zona]

After reading this, I experimented in reversing how I tied my left shoe.

It can't be be done. At least not by me.

[Ted Calver]

https://www.ted.com/talks/terry_moore_how_to_tie_your_shoes?language=en#t-7994