The criss-cross is perhaps the most universal method of lacing up your shoes – and the one most of us can do with our eyes shut. Achieved by looping laces under and over through opposite eyelets, it’s a relatively foolproof technique that translates to high-tops, low-tops and most styles of lace-up boots. That being said, there are a few lesser-known tricks that can help maximise comfort. For example, try loosely lacing up sneakers on your feet, not off, so you can slip in and out of them with ease. With running shoes, there is also a tying technique that employs the mysterious second eyelet at the top of your trainer to help prevent blisters. Meanwhile, leaving out the last set of eyelets and skipping the tongue loop altogether should prevent more snug shoes from rubbing.

While we believe that certain antiquated style commandments are made to be broken, it never hurts to know the basics. In the case of smart dress shoes such as Oxfords, bar lacing – where laces lie in parallel lines – looks neat and elegant, and is generally considered correct form. The easiest way to do it is to take your laces through one eyelet and across to the opposite eyelet, then up vertically through alternate eyelets. Note: for straight-lacing your sneakers, the same method applies.

More intricate woven techniques are an option for sneakers with flat laces, adding an extra layer of interest while still looking orderly. The loop-back lacing method – looping the laces from the eyelets and interlocking each loop in the middle, then returning the laces to the same side of eyelets – works especially well on Converse Chuck Taylors. And while it might look complicated, it is surprisingly simple to do. Decorative lattice-style lacing, meanwhile, requires a little more patience; experiment with skipping two or three eyelets to create steep diagonal lines, then weaving laces over and under on the way back down.

Lacing up shoes is clearly more complex than most would imagine. But tying those laces is surely a skill we’ve all mastered? As it turns out, the classic bow technique we’ve relied on since our schooldays is pretty elementary. The sturdy surgeon’s knot, achieved by tying the lace twice around the other lace and tightening them both, is deemed superior by many experts, thanks to its ability to keep laces locked in place. Alternatively, for a deliberate fresh-out-the-box look on your sneakers, try the factory knot, which is done by taking both laces, looping them around your finger and inserting the laces into the loop you have created (pictured above). Often seen on Yeezy Boosts and other such exclusives, this elevates the shoelace from purely functional to subtle flex.

Scroll through the (surprisingly numerous) forums and comment threads devoted to shoelaces in various far-flung corners of the internet and you’ll find a certain breed of hypebeast who deems visible knots démodé. Instead, they advocate tucking their laces into the shoe, resulting in, for some, a cleaner, more polished appearance – especially on Common Projects-style sneakers. Similarly, on dress shoes, tucking in laces can help create a sleek, streamlined silhouette that photographs especially well ­(it is a trick often employed by stylists). If you’re partial to the look, we’d advise still tying your shoelaces and then concealing the knot under the tongue. Leaving laces loose and stuffing them down the sides may be quicker, but it often means a less-secure shoe.

For the man who believes every aspect of his outfit is an opportunity to showcase his individuality, a simple sneaker can become a canvas, and a shoelace his artist’s brush. A quick search for “shoelace ideas” on Pinterest brings back results that veer between the impractical and the absurd, but a handful have earned our approval. Lightning lacing, where one end of the shoelace runs diagonally from the bottom eyelet to the top while the other zig zags across, feels relatively low-key and is pretty easy to grasp. Meanwhile, the slightly trickier pentagram design (pictured above) is an unexpected way to inject a little lightness into your outfit – and it should be fun waiting to see who spots it first.

While we’ve never thought to calculate how many hours we’ll spend tying our shoes in this lifetime, some estimates put the figure in the (high) hundreds. If you’re of the view that no waking minute should be wasted, then why not sack shoelaces in altogether? Where once showing up to a smart function in anything other than Oxfords was frowned upon, nowadays there exists a wealth of stylish no-strings options to suit every occasion. Try a sporty slide for at-home working, a velvet slipper for entertaining, a slip-on sneaker for off-duty days and an elegant loafer for evening.