How To Ladder Lace Doc Martens (And Other Boots)

Trying out ladder lacing on your Doc Martens (or other boots) is an easy way to step up your footwear game. Ladder lacing is not only a very practical boot lacing style, it also looks super cool, which is an added bonus.

Known for it’s uses in the military, ladder lacing can be easily tightened and adjusted, can be quickly cut through in case of an emergency where a boot needs to come off quick, and is a very secure feeling style.

In this tutorial I’ll be showing you how to ladder lace Doc Martens and other boots, including photos, a video and step by step instructions.

How To Ladder Lace Doc Martens

Here is a video of me going through the steps in this post, if you would like to follow along with a video tutorial:

Let’s get into it!

Step 1.

• Start by placing a pair of socks underneath the tongue of your Doc Martens. This will create a nice base for the ladder pattern to rest on as we go, so it doesn’t end up too tight for your foot.

• Next thread your lace through the two bottom eyelets of the boot. Make sure the lace is coming up into each one from underneath, as pictured above.

• Then take the lace end on the right and feed it into the second eyelet up from the bottom, from the outside. Double check and see how I have done this in the above image!

Step 2.

• Bring the lace end across the Doc Martens tongue and into the second eyelet from the bottom on the left side, as pictured above.

• Then take the other lace end and bring it up into the same eyelet from the outside this time.

Step 3.

• Take that lace end over the tongue and into the second eyelet from the bottom on the right. We now have the first ‘rung’ on our ladder!

• Next bring the same lace end up into the third eyelet from the bottom on the right from the outside, as pictured.

Step 4.

• Take the lace across the boot tongue again and into the third eyelet from the bottom on the left. Then thread the other lace up into the same eyelet from the outside, just as we did before.

Step 5.

• Then bring it across the Doc Martens tongue and into the third eyelet from the bottom on the right, to create our next ladder ‘rung’.

• Repeat the pattern all the way up the boot, until you reach the top eyelets. Now let’s move on to how to tie the bow…

• First tighten up the design to your liking by adjusting the outer loops of the lace pattern. Tie the bow as usual (as I have done in the below image). For a crisper finish, tuck the bow behind the top of the boot tongue (as I have done in the above image).

Once you have finished the bow the lacing pattern is completed! Enjoy your ladder laced Doc Martens.

Related Posts

I hope you enjoyed this post on ladder lacing Doc Martens and you want to give it a go for yourself! Once you get going it’s much easier than it looks.

For more lacing content check out:

Double Lacing Shoes Tutorial (With Photos)

Sawtooth Lacing Shoes: EASY Tutorial (With Photos)

Lattice Lacing Shoes Tutorial (With Photos)

Ladder Lacing Shoes: EASY Tutorial (Photos)

Diamond Lacing Shoes: EASY Guide With Photos

Straight Lacing Tutorial: EASY Guide (With Photos)

Star Lacing Shoes: EASY Tutorial With Photos