Blown-out, raggedy shoelaces and boot laces are a major bummer. They look unsightly, and at worst, they can completely compromise your mobility. It’s hard to make good time and remain stable if your footwear won’t stay on your feet!

Luckily, whether you want to avoid a trip to the store for new laces or you’re already in the middle of a survival situation, paracord can once again come to the rescue. Prepped properly, paracord makes for astoundingly strong laces that will last.

It’s easy to do, too. I’ll give you a detailed walkthrough below.

Supplies and Tools

You need very little to accomplish this project. Assuming you’ve got the paracord, you very likely have all of the other tools and supplies close at hand.

• Paracord: You can use any kind of paracord you want for this project, but stronger is better, so get the good stuff. Also, consider buying something smaller than 550 cord if you’re making shoelaces rather than boot laces.
• Cutting Tool: Scissors or a really sharp knife. As long as it will cut cleanly, you are good.
• Lighter: Self-explanatory. Used for melting the ends of the cut paracord.
• Foil: Helpful for holding the paracord straight while you melt the ends. Also gives you a bit of protection against molten nylon!
• Pressing Tool: Any hard tool that can be used to mash the melted ends of the nylon sheath together is needed for keeping the ends of the cord small enough to thread through the eyelets of your footwear.
• Tape Measure: Self-explanatory. For accurately measuring the length of cord suitable for your footwear.

That’s it. The next section will walk you through the process step by step.

Instructions

Step 1: Measure existing laces, if you have them. If you have an existing pair of laces for your shoes or boots, use those as a guide for cutting your paracord. Paracord stretches very little, so err on the side of a bit too long if it’s questionable.

If you don’t have existing laces, a good rule of thumb is to start your laces at 45 inches long and add 5 inches to that length for every additional set of eyelets after the fourth. So that would be 50 inches for five eyelets, 55 inches for six eyelets, and so on.

Step 2: Cut paracord to length. Once you’ve got the correct length dialed in, cut the paracord cleanly, straight across.

Step 3: Gut paracord, if desired. I strongly recommend that you remove the inner strands from the paracord. The sheath by itself works much better as shoelaces this way, though obviously, this does reduce the utility of the cord itself should you ever need it for another purpose in a survival situation.

Keep in mind, it will be a very bad day indeed if you are sacrificing the function of your footwear for some other task in an emergency!

Step 4: Prep to melt cord ends. Grab a piece of aluminum foil that measures about 3×3 inches. You just need a small piece. Now, leaving about three-quarters of an inch of the cut end of the cord exposed, wrap the foil tightly around the paracord.

This should hold the end out straight and give you something to hold on to for the next step.

Step 5: Melt cut ends, seal shut. Use your lighter to melt each cut end of the paracord, rotating it the entire time to melt it evenly. Using a hard surface and your pressing tool mentioned above, form the still-hot melted ends into a thin tube that will thread more easily.

Step 6: Allow to cool and lace up. Set the laces aside and allow them to fully cool for a few minutes. You want the ends you melted to be completely solid before you start to lace up your shoes or boots. Once they are, thread the laces in the way that you like best.

Step 7: Done! You’re ready to pull your boots on and go.

Trouble Keeping Your Paracord Laces Tied?

Paracord laces are really strong, as you’d expect, but one quirk they are notorious for is that they tend to come undone easily. This is especially likely if you don’t gut the cord.

That’s why I recommended you do so in the instructions above. In any case, the outer sheath of paracord is also slick and slippery compared to typical shoelaces, so it tends to work loose when tied in a usual bow.

There are a couple of ways to prevent this. The first is simply to tie a double knot when tying your shoes or boots. This will prevent the laces from coming undone in most circumstances. Another worthwhile option, and one that works extremely well with paracord laces, is to use lace locks.

Helpful Tips

These little puck-shaped devices allow you to thread both laces through and quickly tighten and loosen your footwear with one easy movement. Because the lock mechanically grips the laces, they won’t slip loose.

• Consider using smaller, but still extremely strong, 325 lb-rated paracord on shoes like sneakers that tend to have thin, tight eyelets. Your new laces will be more than strong enough, much easier to thread in, and your kicks will look better!
• Paracord is still vulnerable to abrasion even though it’s very tough. Take care to clean your laces whenever they get completely immersed in mud or you are spending a lot of time in sand.
• Over time, as the sheath of the paracord wears, it won’t slip quite as badly. Letting your laces break in for a couple of months might mean that you can tie them normally without fear of slipping!
• Think twice about using paracord laces if you routinely work, train, or play in a way where snag hazards are a real and present danger. Paracord is so strong that it’s unlikely to break free of your footwear when it gets caught! This could make for a major hazard.

The post DIY Paracord Shoelaces That Won’t Come Undone appeared first on Survival Sullivan.

By: Tom Marlowe
Title: DIY Paracord Shoelaces That Won’t Come Undone
Sourced From: www.survivalsullivan.com/diy-paracord-shoelaces/
Published Date: Sat, 08 Mar 2025 08:36:10 +0000

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