Broken Shoe Laces

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Coldfeet

Life Member
Mar 20, 2013
893
58
Yorkshire
I've had a couple pairs break recently, and it got me thinking. What do you do with broken/snapped shoe laces?
 

bobnewboy

Native
Jul 2, 2014
1,292
847
West Somerset
If the laces are made form a natural material, you could re-purpose them as wicks for home-made candles, or use them like the rush pith in a rushlight :)
 
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Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
No-one has yet said bin them and get a new pair. What a bunch of recyclers we are! :)

I keep the single odd lace that hasn't broken as emergency cordage.
 

feralpig

Forager
Aug 6, 2013
183
1
Mid Wales
Curse at them violently.
Haven't had to do that for a long time though. I've got good laces. So long as I don't set fire to them, or catch them with an angle grinder, they outlast the boot.
 

oldtimer

Full Member
Sep 27, 2005
3,185
1,801
82
Oxfordshire and Pyrenees-Orientales, France
I use any cordage in short lengths for all sorts of thing round camp and garden rather than cutting out of a long piece of paracord. Your query made me think though: I haven't broken a bootlace in years but I have had a pair of bootlaces that outlasted two pairs of boots.
 

John Fenna

Lifetime Member & Maker
Oct 7, 2006
23,108
2,841
66
Pembrokeshire
Shoe laces tend to be about 6" long - break one and it is far too short for anything.
Boot laces tend to be a bit longer and trainer laces in between.
Combat boot laces can be VERY long!
 

Coldfeet

Life Member
Mar 20, 2013
893
58
Yorkshire
As others have said, bin them and buy new ones.

I've replaced the laces, I was just wondering if there was anything I could do with the broken pair apart from binning them.

Thanks to all for the suggestions. I would love to know what make of laces outlasted two pairs of boots!
 

feralpig

Forager
Aug 6, 2013
183
1
Mid Wales
V12 boots. They actually supply a spare pair of laces with the boots. Never used them, coz the boots wear out first.
I would highly recommend the boots, and the laces, if you can buy them separately. Don't know that you can though.

I guess they are not much good for shoes, bit too long. Ask them, they do seem a very obliging company.
 

Quixoticgeek

Full Member
Aug 4, 2013
2,483
23
Europe
Bin them, they tend to disintegrate over time, and then I eventually replace the laces that came with the shoes with Dyneema, which then out live the shoes...

J
 

TarHeelBrit

Full Member
Mar 13, 2014
687
3
62
Alone now.
Give them to the kids to play with and replace them with 550.

That's what I did. I bought a new pair of boots and third time lacing them up the damn laces snapped. I replaced them with 550 and haven't had any trouble since. Cut to length, melt the ends and you're good to go.
 

ol smokey

Full Member
Oct 16, 2006
433
2
Scotland
On the subject of laces, I have always tied my laces fairly tight. I was in a fairly posh shoe shop last year and decided to try on a pair of soft leather moccasins, ( you know what I am about to say) I pulled too hard and the leather thong
lace broke. I was mortified as I did not want the shoes after all as they were too wide and did not feel comfortable.
I was assured by the shop assistant that this was not a problem. I am sure that the thong was not properly tanned leather
and was just really ornamentation. I just apologised and made a fairly quick exit, much to the embarrassment of
SWMBO who was with me at the time. I feel that the laces were not really fit for purpose, as I did not really pull that hard.
I have had boot laces made of leather in the past that you could not snap if you tried. Such is life.
 

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