Can’t Tie Your Shoes? Here’s What Your Body’s Trying to Tell You

Learning to tie your shoes is a developmental milestone that comes with newfound independence and freedom. Finally, you can lace up and go — no assistance necessary.

So, it can be a little alarming when, after decades of managing your own double knots, bending down to tie a pair of sneakers becomes challenging or nearly impossible.

Barring any problems with vision or finger dexterity, any inability to tie your shoes is likely due to a lack of flexibility, mobility, or balance. We asked Grayson Wickham, PT, DPT, CSCS, founder and head programmer at Movement Vault, to explain what might be happening with your body and how to address it.

1. Your Hamstring Mobility Needs Work

“Flexing at your hips is going to be dependent on the posterior side — aka the back side — of your hips, so primarily your hamstring mobility,” Wickham says.

Mobility, he explains, is a two-part equation.

”It’s really having the compliance in those muscles. So, are they flexible enough? And then, are you able to contract and control the muscles around your hip to move in a certain position?”

So, if you’re not able to reach your feet or hold a bent-over position long enough to lace up, your lack of hamstring mobility may be to blame. To improve hamstring mobility, Wickham recommends a combination of self-myofascial release (also known as foam rolling) and active stretching.

Hamstring Foam Rolling

1. Sit on the floor and place a foam roller under your right hamstring, just above your knee toward your butt. Extend your right leg, keeping your left knee bent and left foot on the floor.

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2. Lift your hips off the floor so that your weight is resting on the foam roller, the palms of your hands, and your left foot.
3. Roll your hamstring back and forth over the foam roller as you slowly rotate your leg. Spend more time on any spots that feel tight or “stuck.”
4. Roll for 2 to 3 minutes before switching sides.

Active Hamstring Stretch

1. Start lying on the floor.
2. Raise your left leg upward. You should feel a stretch at the back of the leg—that’s the hamstring.

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   You can also link your fingers behind your thigh, just beneath your knee, to keep it steady. Your knee may be at 90 degrees.

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3. Raise your left leg up. This can involve either lifting the whole leg or just extending the knee until it’s straight if you were holding it at 90 degrees.

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4. Squeeze your quad (upper thigh) muscles for 10 to 15 seconds.
5. Relax the contraction and lower the leg.
6. Repeat this with the other leg.

2. Your Lower Back Is Stiff

If you’re working on your dead lift or even picking up something heavy from the floor, it’s important to keep your back as flat as possible to protect your spine.

The segmented cat-camel exercise is “gold” for anyone struggling with a stiff lower back, according to Wickham. Also known as “cat-cow,” this drill mobilizes your spine and activates your core musculature, which allows you to move into and hold a bent-over position.

Segmented Cat-Camel

1. Start on all fours with your back flat.

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2. Inhale and tip your pelvis forward, drawing your navel toward your spine to round your back into a “cat” position.
3. Slowly tilt your pelvis back and, one vertebra at a time, move your spine into an arched “camel” or “cow” position. Start with your lower back and work your way up to your neck. Hold the “camel” or “cow” position for 5 seconds.
4. Flexing your upper back first, gradually round your back one vertebra at a time until you’ve transitioned back into a cat position. Hold for 5 seconds. That’s one rep.
5. Complete two to three sets of five reps.

3. You Need to Stretch Your Calves

While your hamstrings and lower back are the most likely culprits, tight calves may also be a limiting factor in your ability to tie your shoes.

“The gastrocnemius (the bigger calf muscle) crosses the knee and the ankle. Having a tight gastrocnemius could potentially limit a bent-over or flexed position when your knees are straight,” Wickham says. “Your soleus calf muscle, which only crosses your ankle joint, could limit your ankle dorsiflexion — how much you can draw the toes toward the shin — when you have a bent knee. This could then limit your bent-over position.”

To loosen up your calves and improve their mobility, Wickham recommends doing an active calf stretch.

Active Calf Stretch

1. Stand facing a chair, wall, or other stable fixture, with your feet about hip-width apart.

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2. Place your hands on the chair for stability and step back with your left leg.
3. Bend your elbows and right knee and straighten your left leg, driving your left heel into the ground.
4. Once you feel a stretch in the lower leg, contract the calf muscle. (Imagine you’re pushing down on a gas pedal.) Hold for 10 seconds, then release the contraction but stay in the stretch.

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5. Next, contract the muscles on the front of your ankle. (Think about pulling your foot off a gas pedal.) Hold for 20 seconds, then release the contraction and the stretch. That’s one rep.
6. Complete three reps before switching sides.

4. You’re Not Doing Enough Balance Training

Do you feel like you may tip over every time you attempt to tie your shoes, even with both feet on the floor? Then it’s time to start incorporating balance training into your exercise routine.

You can scale the three-way toe tap exercise according to your ability, Wickham explains. If you’re feeling wobbly, start slow and tap close to your standing foot. As your balance improves, you can begin to reach farther with each tap.

Three-Way Toe Tap

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, hands clasped in front of your chest.
2. Shift your weight to your right foot and lift your left foot so it’s hovering above the ground. Bend your right knee slightly. This is the starting position.
3. Tap your right toes about 6 inches (less if you’re a beginner, more if you’re advanced) directly in front of you and return to the starting position. The Arthritis Foundation suggests using paper cups to mark where you’re tapping your toe. The more advanced you get, the more cups you can target.

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4. Without resting your foot on the ground, tap your toes to the right, then return to the starting position.
5. Tap your toes directly behind you, then return to the starting position.
6. Perform the full circuit 10 times before switching sides. Complete two sets on each leg.

5. You’re Struggling With External Hip Rotation

What if your problem has nothing to do with bending over? Maybe you sit down to tie your shoes but have trouble lifting your ankle to rest it on top of the opposite knee.

If you’re unable to bring your legs to this “figure 4” position, you may have tight hip external rotators, which rotate your femur away from your body’s midline.

Work on getting into that cross-legged position with an active glute and piriformis stretch. Taking it to the floor allows you to make modifications and gradually amp up the intensity of the stretch.

Active Glute and Piriformis Stretch

1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.
2. Lift your right foot and rest your right ankle on your left knee. (To lessen the intensity of the stretch, decrease the bend in your left knee by moving your left foot farther away from your hips.)
3. Draw your left knee toward your chest and reach for your left thigh with both hands. Place your hands on the back of your thigh just above your knee and pull your leg toward your chest, stretching your right hip. (If you’re unable to hold your leg, loop a strap or towel around your thigh and pull on either end. The National Academy of Sports Medicine also recommends placing a large stability ball under your left leg and pulling the ball toward your body with your heel.)

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4. Once you feel a deep stretch in your right hip, contract your hip external rotators by pushing your ankle into your thigh. Hold for 20 seconds, then release the contraction.
5. Hold the stretch, repeating the muscle contraction for a total of three reps before switching sides.

6. It’s Time to Change Your Shoes

In some cases, the path of least resistance is the most sensible approach. If tying your shoes just isn't in the cards (e.g., you’re pregnant, dealing with an injury, or have a disability), consider swapping your lace-up shoes for a pair of slip-on or hands-free kicks.

The Takeaway

• If you find bending over and tying your shoes challenging, it may be due to a lack of flexibility or mobility, often related to your hamstrings, lower back, or calves.
• Engaging in exercises that include foam rolling, active stretching, and balance training can help improve mobility and reduce stiffness, potentially making shoe-tying easier.
• For those who have difficulty putting on their shoes due to injury, recovery, or disability, it might be helpful to switch to slip-on or hands-free shoes.
• If the issue persists or accompanies other symptoms, consider consulting a healthcare professional to rule out underlying health problems.