How to Tie the Turquoise Turtle Knot
Usage
The Turquoise Turtle Knot is a shoelace bow built to stay tied through a full day on your feet. You tie it almost exactly like an ordinary bow, then push one loop through a second time — that extra tuck is the whole trick, and it's what keeps the bow from shaking loose on everyday shoes, hiking boots, soccer cleats, or hockey skates.
It's the same doubled, twice-wrapped bow that shoemakers and sailmakers once used to tie up parcels, which is why you'll also see it called the Shoemaker's Knot.
Why Learn the Turquoise Turtle Knot?
Because it costs you one extra move over the bow you already know, and in return the bow stops coming undone on its own. If a picture-perfect, symmetrical bow matters more to you than tying speed, the Berluti Knot is the better-looking sibling — but the Turquoise Turtle is a little easier to tie, and once it's on the shoe most people won't spot the difference.
Common Uses
Anywhere you'd tie a normal bow but wish it would hold better:
Everyday Shoes and Sneakers
- Tying regular shoes so the bow doesn't work loose while you walk.
Boots, Cleats, and Skates
- Hiking boots, soccer cleats, and other athletic footwear that takes repeated flex and impact.
- Hockey skate laces, tied tight for time on the ice.
Parcels and Packages
- A secure yet decorative bow on a parcel or gift — the knot's original job.
Other Names
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Notable Features
- Stays tied: the doubled tuck adds an extra wrap of friction so the bow rides out a day of walking without loosening.
- Easy to learn: it builds straight onto the plain shoelace bow — no new vocabulary, just one added move.
- Easy to release: a single tug on the two short ends spills the whole knot open.
Similar Knots
Berluti Knot vs. Turquoise Turtle Knot
- Advantage: the Berluti finishes as a neater, more symmetrical bow.
- Disadvantage: it's a touch fiddlier to tie — the Turquoise Turtle gets you nearly the same security with a slightly simpler set of moves.
Worth knowing by name in the same shoelace family: the Ian Knot and the Double Wrap Shoelace Knot.
Security Level
As shoelace knots go this one holds well — the whole point of the extra tuck is a bow that rides out a day of walking without working itself loose, as long as you tie the starting knot the right way round.
Downsides
- Less symmetrical: the finished bow isn't as tidy as the Berluti Knot's.
- Watch the starting knot: tie that first knot backwards and you get a lopsided "granny" version that comes loose the same way a granny-tied bow does.
- Not for rope loads: this is a lace-securing bow, not a load-bearing rope knot — for anything that actually pulls, use a proper rope-rated bend or hitch instead.
History
The move itself is old — a doubled, twice-wrapped bow that shoemakers, harness makers, and sailmakers used to tie up parcels long before it had a catchy name, and it sits among the shoestring-and-parcel knots in Ashley's 1944 Book of Knots. The name "Turquoise Turtle" came from the rigger and author Brion Toss, who saw the technique used to wrap parcels at a boutique called the Turquoise Turtle and named it after the shop. It also appears on Ian's Shoelace Site under the older name "Shoemaker's Knot," and a 1999 US patent even describes the same lace path without ever naming it.
How to Tie the Turquoise Turtle Knot
Step 1
Begin with a regular left-over-right starting knot — a single one, not doubled.
Step 2
Fold both lace ends into loops, the usual "bunny ears."
Step 3
Cross the right loop over the left loop so it ends up on the left, in front.
Step 4
Wrap that now-right loop around the now-left loop so it comes out in front. Up to here it's identical to a plain two-loop shoelace bow.
Step 5
Feed the right loop through the hole in the middle, pulling a fair amount through to keep some working slack.
Step 6
Now take the right loop plus the right loose end together as a bundle, and wrap both around to end up in front.
Step 7
Feed that whole bundle through the hole a second time. This doubled tuck is what gives the knot its extra grip.
Step 8
Pull the loops to tighten.
Pro Tip: Pull that second bundle through evenly and give the middle of the knot a thumb-press before the final tug, so the finished bow sits centered instead of lopsided.
If the double tuck isn't clicking from the steps, the Knot IQ app has it in 3D — slow it down and orbit the knot until you can see exactly where the bundle goes through the second time.
FAQ
Is the Turquoise Turtle Knot the same as the Shoemaker's Knot?
Yes. "Shoemaker's Knot" is a well-documented older name for the same knot, going back to when the technique was used to tie up parcels.
Does it come undone more easily than a normal shoelace bow?
The opposite — it's harder to shake loose on its own than an ordinary bow, thanks to the extra tuck. It's still just as easy to untie on purpose: one tug on the short ends and it falls open.
Why is it called the Turquoise Turtle Knot?
The rigger and author Brion Toss named it after a boutique called the Turquoise Turtle, where he saw the same technique being used to tie up parcels.
