A loose, untied shoe will never do, and that's especially the case with work boots. Those wearing work boots typically have lots of manual labor to do, and keeping laces tight and secure is important. The best way to lace up work boots and keep them from getting loose is to finish with what's called "lock lacing," finished off by a "surgeon's knot." These techniques are simple to accomplish and, combined, will keep a work boot tight on the foot and the laces securely fastened until you're ready to remove them.

1 Put the unlaced work boot facing toe-forward in front of you and hold the lace in one hand, at its middle point.

2 Feed one half of the shoelace through the shoe's front-left eyelet. Feed it down and through the eyelet, pulling the half-length entirely through.

3 Feed the other half of the shoelace through the shoe's front-right eyelet. Feed it down and through the eyelet, pulling the rest of the lace entirely through.

4 Feed the left lace through the next-highest eyelet on the right side. Insert it from below the eyelet, and pull the length through.

5 Feed the right lace through the next-highest eyelet on the left side. Insert it from below the eyelet, and pull the length through.

6 Feed the original left lace through the next-highest eyelet on the left side. Insert it from above the eyelet, and pull the length through.

7 Feed the original right lace through the next-highest eyelet on the right side. Insert it from above the eyelet, and pull the length through.

8 Continue with this over-under lacing pattern until you've filled all of the eyelets, save for the top one on each side.

9 Feed each lace through the eyelet immediately above it - do not cross them. Feed the lace in from above the eyelet.

10 Take the lace on the left side and run it across the laces and under the lace that runs between the top two eyes on the right side of the shoe. Do the same with the lace on the right side. This will keep the laces tightly secured.

11 With the foot in the boot, pull the lacing tightly and begin to tie it in a bow. Before tightening it, though, slip one of the loops beneath the other for a second time. This will form a secure knot, called the "surgeon's knot," that won't come untied until the shoelace ends are pulled. This know is good for use in serious sports and with slippery laces, according to Ian's Shoelace Site.