# Poll about untying your shoe laces **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 31, 2004, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919 "2004-01-31T15:06:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![RickQ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/35a633/32.png) [@RickQ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickQ)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/1 "2004-01-31T15:06:20Z")
I recently noticed that my wife does not untie the laces from her sneakers when she takes them off. She often doesn’t untie them when she puts them on either. I always untie my laces (I’m not even sure if I could get my shoes off if I didn’t). It got me thinking. Is this a difference between men and women, or maybe between Britian and Amecica. So, what do you all do? Tied or untied? Male or Female? Where are you from? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/2 "2004-01-31T15:11:24Z")
Female – US – do not untie to take off (except high-tops), but do untie to put back on. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/3 "2004-01-31T15:11:45Z")
Untied. Female. Florida. I used to deshoe myself without untying, but it lead to premature death of the shoes. So now I untie and life is good. ---
**Author:** ![Balle\_M](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/13edae/32.png) [@Balle\_M](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balle_M)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/4 "2004-01-31T15:27:06Z")
Male US 0f A Tied. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/5 "2004-01-31T15:36:09Z")
I rarely untie my shoes. Male. USA. ---
**Author:** ![whiterabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/cab0a1/32.png) [@whiterabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/whiterabbit)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/6 "2004-01-31T16:44:37Z")
Female. US. I have this weird thing where my shoes have to feel Just Right. So if I start untying and retying them, it can take multiple attempts until I get them right. Most of the time, therefore, I don’t untie them. I might retie them to tighten them up a bit after I put them on, but I try to avoid that, since even THAT takes several attempts most of the time. And no, I’ve not been diagnosed with OCD. I’m just weird. ---
**Author:** ![misstee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/958977/32.png) [@misstee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misstee)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/7 "2004-01-31T16:48:12Z")
Tied Female USA ---
**Author:** ![NajaNivea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/22d042/32.png) [@NajaNivea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NajaNivea)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/8 "2004-01-31T16:52:44Z")
I don’t bother untying my sneakers, ever, and I don’t untie my running shoes to take them off, or put them on, but I do retie them once they’re on my feet to make sure they’re snug. If the laces were better and didn’t slip, I wouldn’t bother retying them, either. (female, US) ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/9 "2004-01-31T17:25:54Z")
It depends on the shoes. I don’t untie my vans, they just slip on and off, most of the time. Plus, my cat likes the super long shoelaces so untying is a longer prospect than it might seem. I do untie my other tennis shoes as they don’t slip on and off so easily. female usa ---
**Author:** ![joyfool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@joyfool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/joyfool)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/10 "2004-01-31T17:26:49Z")
Female Us Untied to take off Tied to put on ---
**Author:** ![odd-socks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/c67d28/32.png) [@odd-socks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/odd-socks)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/11 "2004-01-31T20:12:49Z")
**RickQ** I am the exact same as your wife with regards to trainers (sneakers.) Boots: untied to take off; tied once they are on. Well, I’ve occasionally been known to wear them untied, depends on the situation. “Eek! The house is on fire!” would be a boots on, untied scenario 😉 Female. UK. ---
**Author:** ![DaisyFace](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@DaisyFace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DaisyFace)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/12 "2004-01-31T20:37:19Z")
Female. U.S. Sneakers - Tied to take off, recently untie to put on (I also found leaving them tied cause early death of shoes). Boots - Untied to take off and put on. ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_Schmeese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea666f/32.png) [@Marconi\_Schmeese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_Schmeese)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/13 "2004-01-31T21:06:50Z")
Tied (to take off and put on). Female. Atlanta, Georgia. ---
**Author:** ![SnoopyFan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d07c76/32.png) [@SnoopyFan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnoopyFan)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/14 "2004-01-31T21:27:56Z")
Tied when I take them off, then I untie them when I’m ready to put them back on. Female, West Virginia ---
**Author:** ![AngelicGemma](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/439d5e/32.png) [@AngelicGemma](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AngelicGemma)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/15 "2004-01-31T21:55:48Z")
I’m female and British. I don’t bother to tie oe untie the laces on my trainers (sneakers). ---
**Author:** ![lilbtagna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4491bb/32.png) [@lilbtagna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lilbtagna)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/16 "2004-01-31T22:03:48Z")
> [@whiterabbit](#): > > Female. US. > > I have this weird thing where my shoes have to feel Just Right. So if I start untying and retying them, it can take multiple attempts until I get them right. Most of the time, therefore, I don’t untie them. I might retie them to tighten them up a bit after I put them on, but I try to avoid that, since even THAT takes several attempts most of the time. > > And no, I’ve not been diagnosed with OCD. I’m just weird. This is exactly how I am. Once my shoes feel perfect on my feet, I’ll also double-knot the laces to make sure I don’t have to mess with them again. If the extra knot gets loose, I can tighten it back up without changing how the shoes feel on my feet. ---
**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/17 "2004-01-31T22:38:37Z")
Male, USA. I do not untie my shoes to remove them or to put them back on. However, mark me down as a special case. I walk with an orthotic: an L-shaped knee-high brace of black graphite fiber that replaces the missing toes on my left foot. The orthotic remains tied into my left shoe even when I remove the shoe. (I never bothered with the laces before the orthotic, either.) ---
**Author:** ![Zigarre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/bbce88/32.png) [@Zigarre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zigarre)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/18 "2004-01-31T23:42:58Z")
Off/On, tied. The tie/untie cycle, that is, one tie and one untie event, easily requires 15 seconds to complete. Assuming this cycle occurs once a day for one year, it could easily total 1.5 hours. A person who did this for 70 years, would invest 106+ hours doing this. I think your wife has the right idea RickQ. Male, West Coast. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2004, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/19 "2004-01-31T23:55:37Z")
I usually untie my shoes the first couple days, then just kick them off at the end of the day when I lose patience. Then I unlace em, put em on, and retie em. Male, USA. ---
**Author:** ![LucysLogic101](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e19b73/32.png) [@LucysLogic101](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LucysLogic101)\ **Post date:** [February 1, 2004, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919/20 "2004-02-01T00:15:00Z")
female here. i have to say it depends. depends on the shoe and how tight i’ve tied them. if i go for a run, my sneakers are going to be tied very tight out of habit (it got to the point with my old sneakers that the laces were pulled straight, they’d been worn down by being tied so tight for so long). if i’m just slipping sneakers on and off, i tie them loosely so i dont have to bother with the laces. sometimes i kick off my shoes but then i have to unlace them to put them back on, or else i won’t be able to get my foot in. other times i untie them and pull them off. yeah, so i’m just unpredictable. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/poll-about-untying-your-shoe-laces/226919.md?page=2)