The years that I have been wearing shoes and  I just learned the purpose of the last 2 holes that we almost usually find in our running shoes. I’ve always wondered why they are placed close together.

These holes are use to “lace lock” or ” heel lock” your foot to the shoe. It keeps your ankle and heel from sliding up and down on the shoe when walking or running preventing those blisters on the heels.

Just follow the picture above on how to lace lock your shoes and you will feel the difference when your ankle is well stabilized and snug and it seems like your shoes and your feet are one solid unit.

Now,  I tie all my shoes this way and I noticed another benefit. It seems like my shoe laces doesn’t unravel as compared to regular tying where I occasionally have to re-tie at least once a day. It was happening frequently that I decided to double knot my laces every time I use my sneakers.

With the “heel lock” method, it basically locks the laces before you make a knot, decreasing the pulling tension and keeps your bow knot from unraveling. Well, this is my theory anyways… but it works.