How to Tie Irish Softshoes

Are you confused on how to tie your ghillies? Does the lacing give you a hard time, maybe even a headache? I’ll go over step-by-step on how to tie your Irish soft shoe like a pro!

Step 1: Sizing and Correct Laces
The first thing you’ll want to do is make sure you have the correct shoe, laces, and sizing. You’ll want your shoe to be slightly smaller than your regular shoes (at most two sizes down), that way your shoe can stretch. It may feel uncomfortable and that’s okay. The laces should be really long, almost double what you would think is normal for a shoe.
Once you have everything you’ll need, place the shoe on your foot and begin lacing.
Step 2: Lacing (Middle of Foot)
Begin by taking your laces and putting them through the bottom center loop. Make sure both sides of your laces are even once you’ve pulled them through.
Next, take one side of the laces and put it through the same side loop immediately above it and pull it until taut. Repeat on the other side.

Cross your laces.
Take one side of your laces and place in the same side loop. Pull until taut. Repeat on other side.

 

 

Cross the laces again.
Repeat the process until you have something that looks like this:

 

 

 

Step 3: Lacing (Sides and Heel)
Note: This part is VERY IMPORTANT and constantly missed when tying ghillies. Once you’ve laced up the center of the foot, cross your laces one more time.
Take one side of your laces and pull it through the loop on the side (right to right, left to left).

 

 

 

Use that same side lace to put through the loop at the heel.
Repeat on the other side. At the heel, lace your second side through the same loop in the back. It should look like one side is on top of the other.
Now you should have two laces coming from the heel to the front again.

 

 

Step 4: Lacing (Holes)
Take one side of your laces and put it through the shoelace hole on the same side. Make sure you start on the underside of the hole.
Repeat on the other side. Pull until taut.

 

 

Step 5: Tying
At this point, you may still have some lace left. If it’s too much lace, all you have to do is loop the excess around the arch of the foot (the middle) and tie a simple square knot at the top.

 

 

And you’re done! Great work! Now get out there and dance, dance, dance!