Ready to Lace 'em Up

Mother's Day has passed, tho you can't stop the maternal instinct aftershocks. W I R E D gives a How-To: Lace Your Shoes (Dec '07):

Before you tie 'em, you have to lace 'em.

A smart stringing strategy can actually improve your game, sportswise and otherwise...

Runner's stitch. Are your dogs yapping after a jog? This method alleviates pressure points inside the sneaker to give your pups some breathing room. Start with a horizontal lace across the bottom eyelets. Go straight up and emerge from the second set, cross over to the third, and go up to the fourth. Repeat.