Why you shouldn't be using the 'bunny ear' method to tie your shoelaces

You’ve probably been tying your shoelaces the same way that your parents taught you when you were a kid, and never really given it more thought.

But what if, this whole time, you've been doing it wrong.

A video shared to TikTok has sparked a debate by claiming to reveal the 'correct' way to tie your laces.

It cites a 2017 study by UC Berkely which says the most common way to secure your laces - the ‘bunny ear’ method - is the weakest style as it is based on a false knot.

The study explains: “There are two ways to tie the common shoelace bow tie knot, and one is stronger than the other, but no one knows why.

“The strong version of the knot is based on a square knot: two lace crossings of opposite handedness on top of each other. The weak version is based on a false knot; the two lace crossings have the same handedness, causing the knot to twist instead of lying flat when tightened.”

And although the study found that both of the knots fail in the same way, it makes clear that one knot is stronger than the other.

In the clip the woman demonstrates how you should be tying your shoes.

She starts by crossing the left lace over the right lace, before making a loop on the right hand side.

Then you should place the left loop around that side and pull it through.

The voiceover says: “You want your laces to lie perpendicular to your shoe, not parallel.”

Since being posted it has received 116,000 likes and thousands of comments debating which way was best. One said: “Isn’t that how everyone does it?”

Whereas others said: “My bunny ear shoe laces don’t come untied after 15 minutes lol. They’ve been tied for three years” and: “Um sorry mine will stay tied for hours and I do bunny knots so they are WRONG.”

Another suggested: “Why don’t y’all just double knot the bunny ears??”

And one said: “The perpendicular look makes the shoe look cuter then the parallel. Thanks for this useful shoe tying tip.”