The skinhead guide to boot lacing

Boots are at the heart of the skinhead look. From the first days on London streets in the late 60s to the international scene today, pulling on a pair of sturdy leathers has always been a mark of identity. Whether they’re shining black Docs, oxblood Solovairs, or even battered steel-toes you’ve danced into the ground, the boots tell a story. And while the leather itself carries weight, the laces — those strips of colour and pattern — speak their own language.

The way skins lace up has always mattered. It’s not just about function; it’s about ritual, sharpness, individuality, and sometimes a wink to tradition. Some styles are clean and smart, others bold and brash, and a few cross into pure experimentation. In short: your lacing is part of your uniform.

Let’s take a proper walk through the main ways skins lace their boots, the history around it, and the small tricks that make a big difference.

Straight bar lacing

If there’s one method that screams “smart skin,” it’s straight bar lacing. Each row sits perfectly parallel, giving the boot a neat, balanced look. It matches the tidy press of Sta-Prest trousers and the buttoned-up Fred Perry polo. This is the style often chosen by those who lean toward the smarter end of the scene — the ones who take pride in a mirror-polished toe cap and a well-creased trouser leg.

How to do it:

1. Start from the inside of the bottom eyelets, pulling both ends out evenly.
2. Cross each lace straight across and feed back in.
3. Skip one eyelet at a time so the next bar sits above, repeat until the top.

The result? A boot that looks disciplined, almost military, without being overcomplicated. It’s a style that says: I’m put together, I take pride, and I belong.

Ladder lacing

Ladder lacing is a statement. Instead of subtle bars, you get strong verticals and horizontals that almost make your boots look like they’ve been strapped into a scaffold. It’s bulkier, louder, and adds serious weight to your look. Many skins in the 80s swore by this method for nights at the pub or gigs, because the laces stood out even in dim light.

How to do it:

• Begin at the bottom as you would with bars.
• Bring each lace straight up two eyelets before crossing over.
• Tuck each crossing under the vertical section you’ve made.
• Keep repeating until you’ve built a proper “ladder” all the way up.

The effect is striking. Your boots look more aggressive, more armoured. It’s less about tidiness and more about presence — a style that tells people you didn’t just lace up to walk quietly.

Casual and ready

The most common and casual method is the standard criss-cross. This is how most boots arrive straight out of the box, but in the skin scene it’s still embraced. It suits a looser, punkier attitude: throw them on, pull them tight, and get going. No need to fuss over symmetry or style.

For 14-hole boots, criss-cross is also the fastest way to get them laced. And for skins who spend more time stomping at a gig than worrying about looking razor-sharp, it just works.

Tip: leave the top eyelets unlaced if you like a looser boot. Makes them easier to slip off after a long session, and gives a more casual stance.

Tough and practical

Some skins go for a mix of straight bar and criss-cross, alternating between neat horizontals and under-crossings. This hybrid makes the laces sit tighter and keeps them from loosening mid-gig. It’s practical and has a subtle pattern if you look closely.

It’s not as common as the big three styles, but you’ll see it pop up now and then, especially among those who’ve been wearing boots long enough to experiment.

Lacecode

The colours of laces have always been part of the skinhead conversation. Black boots with white laces, cherry reds with yellow laces, even tartan or two-tone sets – each combination says something.

Historically, certain lace colours carried heavy political or crew-based meaning. These codes shifted wildly across countries and decades. What meant one thing in 1970s Britain might mean something else in 80s Germany or 90s America. The problem was always the same: outsiders (and even insiders) misread the signals, turning a simple pair of laces into a loaded statement.

But here’s the truth — lacecode is dead. Whatever weight colours carried back in the day has long since dissolved. Today, most skins see laces as style, not politics. White for sharpness, yellow for brightness, red for flash. Some swap colours depending on their mood, gig, or outfit. Others lace each boot differently just for fun.

Our stance in SKNWRLD: wear what you like. In 2025, it’s fashion over politics. The codes don’t run the scene anymore — personality does. So play with colour, make it yours, and don’t worry about the ghosts of lacecodes past.

How far is too far?

8-holes and 10-holes are the bread-and-butter of the skin look. 14-holes are for those who want to make more of a statement — towering, bold, and impossible to ignore.

But anything more than 14 holes? Honestly, that’s where it drifts from skin uniform into fetish territory. 20-holes or higher are dramatic, but they belong more to clubwear or kink than the pub or terrace. Nothing wrong with that — plenty of crossover between scenes — but for most skins, boots above 14 holes are overkill. They’re impractical, take forever to lace, and scream more about fantasy than function.

Lengths and materials

• Lace length:
  • 8-hole boots: around 120 cm.
  • 10–12 hole: 140–160 cm.
  • 14-hole: 200 cm.
• Material:
  • Flat laces = sharper, more mod-inspired.
  • Round laces = chunkier, more casual.
  • Waxed laces = hold their shine and stay tight.

Always keep a spare set around. Laces snap at the worst possible time, usually mid-gig or on the way to the pub. Having a backup means you’re never the one walking about with a sad, half-tied boot.

Ritual of lacing

One of the most overlooked parts of the skinhead uniform is the ritual of lacing up. It’s that quiet moment before stepping out — sitting on the bed, pulling tight, knotting firm. Some polish boots every day, some once a week, but everyone has their rhythm.

That ritual is grounding. It’s where you mentally gear up: for work, for a gig, for a march down the high street. The act of threading, pulling, and tying connects you with a long line of skins before you.

Fun variations

• Checkerboard lacing: alternate two lace colours for a chessboard effect. Very 80s, very bold.
• One-boot different: lace one boot criss-cross and the other bar. Subtle asymmetry that always gets noticed.
• Loose tongue tuck: keep the top eyelets unlaced and tuck the tongue forward — casual, ska-inspired look.

Not every trick is for everyone, but experimenting is half the joy.

Final word

Boots are more than just shoes in the skin scene. They’re the anchor, the badge of belonging, the tool that grounds the whole look. And the laces? They’re your signature.

Whether you go sharp with bars, heavy with ladders, or casual with criss-cross, what matters most is that you make them yours. Keep them clean, keep them tight, and don’t be afraid to swap styles as your mood shifts.

Remember: 8s and 10s are the everyday classics, 14s push it into statement territory, and beyond that you’re crossing into fetish. If that’s your vibe, all power to you — but in the everyday skin scene, nothing beats a well-laced pair of 10-hole black Docs shining under the streetlight.

So next time you sit down to lace up, take that extra moment. Because in SKNWRLD, we know it’s never just about keeping a boot on your foot. It’s about identity, attitude, and culture — threaded one eyelet at a time.