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Boot tongues can slide, irrespective of which brand makes the boots or what type of boots you are wearing. The type only matters if the boot has no laces and tongues.
Speaking of boot tongues, a boot tongue is a fabric on the upper part of your shoe or boot over which your laces are tied. There are cases where the tongue slides to a side.
It is not cool at all. If you are here for answers, then you probably already know how annoying it looks.
When the tongues slide, it’s quite easy to get it adjusted. That requires no tutorials. However, the tongues don’t tell you before they slide. That could just happen in public and it’d be quite embarrassing. We should have that fixed.
Thursday Boots Tongue Sliding: What To Do?
You have probably found your boot tongues sliding and you chose to ignore them. That is not cool in any way. Some might even consider it childish. When you find the tongues of your boot sliding, it’s right to fix it immediately.
- Take off your boots/shoes
- Straighten the tongues
- Adjust the laces
- Keep the tongues straight as you wear the shoes
- Keep the laces tight.
Take off your boots/shoes
Your boots – whether by the Thursday brand or not- are not usually the problem when the tongues slide. Many shoes have the same issue with tongues sliding.
You can choose to adjust the tongue and keep it straight without taking the shoes off but that might not work perfectly, although it’s the quickest option (You would only have to pull the tongue back in place but it would be tight since the shoes are still laced).
Untie the shoelaces on the affected side (i.e. the affected shoe in the pair), or both sides of the tongues on both sides slide, and put it off.
Straighten the tongues
You may have probably worn your shoes already before noticing the tongue is weirdly shaped behind the laces. Sometimes, it won’t be very obvious so the tongue will slowly slide as you walk.
This can happen if the tongue is not smooth. After taking the shoes off your feet, remove the laces from the holes and focus on the tongue. Straighten the tongue.
It doesn’t have to be very smooth but you have to pay attention to how the tongue lays on the instep of your foot when wearing the shoe. You have to keep it straight when tying the laces so the chances of it sliding will be reduced.
Adjust the laces
While attending to the tongues of your boots, the shoelace must be attended to also. After putting off your shoes, remove the shoelaces and straighten the tongues.
The level of tightness of your shoelaces can make the tongues slide. There are cases where one shoe has a sliding tongue while its second pair is in perfect shape.
That can be caused if the affected side is not well-tightened. That can also be caused if the length of the shoelace is not evenly distributed before tying.
Before taking off your shoes, you can untie your shoelaces and check if one side is not shorter than the other. That way, you can know if the shoelace is the problem.
Put the shoelaces back into their holes and make sure the two sides (on one shoe) are not so different in length.
Keep the tongue straight as you wear the shoes
After putting the laces back in the holes, it is time to put your shoes back on. Hold the tongue of your boot up as you slide a foot in.
Keep your hand on the tongue and adjust till you feel comfortable.
You don’t have to pull the tongue hard while doing this. You just have to keep it straight.
After putting your feet in your shoes, make sure the tongue is straight on your instep. If not, press it down and pull it slightly. You can pull the laces to hold down the tongue
Keep the laces tight
After wearing your shoes and straightening the tongues, you have to pull the laces up so the tongue is held down.
Keep your eyes on the tongue and make sure it is not rough or wrinkled so you don’t have to repeat the steps again.
If it is straight, tie the lace and make sure it is tight. If the lace is not tight, there is a chance that the tongue will slide back, even if the tongue was straight from the start.
You should also make sure both sides of the lace are not too different in length. If they are different in length, one side of a shoe might end up tighter than the other making the tongue slide from one side to the other as you walk.
Another effective way to fix the sliding tongues in your Thursday boots is to see your cobbler.
Sometimes, the tightness of your shoelaces may not be the problem. You can see a cobbler to help you create a “loop” in the middle of the tongue where you can thread your shoelace in to hold the tongue down.
There are tutorial videos on YouTube but you can go to a cobbler so you don’t make mistakes that damage your shoes.
Why Thursday Boots Tongue Slide
Sliding tongues happen in boots and shoes. You might have experienced it so much that you begin to think it’s an unavoidable feature of every shoe. It’s not. Some people consider it a sign of low quality.
The common possible reasons for the sliding tongues of your Thursday boots are;
- Low-quality fabric/ Poor construction
- Uneven shoelace
- Loose shoelace
- Oversized shoes
Low-quality Fabric/ Poor Construction
If the upper sole of a shoe is made of a low-quality fabric, there is a tendency for the tongue to slide. When you tie your shoelaces, you make them tight so the shoes can fit snugly.
The tongues will be stretched slightly as you tighten your shoelaces. If the tongues are not built for the stretch, they will slide back and your tight shoelaces will make it look distorted.
Uneven Shoelace
This is a common cause of sliding tongues. When you install your shoelace in the eyelets and one side is longer than the other, you won’t be able to tighten the lace effectively.
While the shoe might fit snugly, one side of the lace will be tighter than the other side and the tongue might slide around.
Loose Shoelace
Every other part of your shoes might be in check but, if the shoelaces are not tightened, the shoes may not feel right on your feet.
The shoes may manage to fit snugly even without tying your shoelace so you may not realize if your shoelaces are slowly loosening up. The shoelace has to hold the tongue down and if it isn’t, the tongue will slide.
Oversized Shoes
When your shoes are too big for you, the tongues may slide. Your shoes may probably fit well from the start. If they start to stretch out, there is a tendency that the tongues will begin to slide.
This is not a common cause so there is only a 10% chance that the size is the cause of the sliding tongues in your boots.
How To Prevent Thursday Boots Tongues From Sliding
After noting the causes of the problem, it is right to avoid the causes either or fix the situation. There are a few ways to prevent your Thursday boot tongues from sliding.
Some ones are more effective and time-taking than others, but they should all work well. They include;
- Place the tongues correctly
- Change your shoes
- Create multiple loops on the boot tongue
- Sew the tongues to a side
Place the tongues correctly
As mentioned earlier, the tongues shouldn’t appear rough behind the shoelaces. When wearing your shoes, to prevent the tongue from sliding to a side, make sure the tongue is not already sliding to one side.
Straighten the tongue correctly and lay it on your instep before you tighten and tie the shoelace. If the tongue is slightly curved or tilted to a side, it may worsen as you work so it’s necessary to keep it straight.
Make sure the shoelace is even on both sides and tighten its hold on the tongues. With this, the chances of the tongue sliding are reduced greatly.
Change Your Shoes
Changing your shoes is not always the right choice. That is quite obvious if it’s only one of the shoes that has a sliding tongue.
When you have one or both shoes with sliding tongues, you should check if the shoes fit right. The shoes may have been snug when you bought them.
If they have stretched out to fit a bit loose, you might have to change the shoes or apply the next methods in this outline. If the shoes are not your size (especially if they are large), you should change them or apply the next methods.
You should also change your shoes if you find out they are of poor quality. It is quite hard to tell if the shoes are faulty in construction so you may consider the next methods.
Create Multiple Loops On The Boot Tongue
You can give your shoes to the cobbler to get this done or you can do it yourself. If the tongue is not too thick, it should be easier for you to do it yourself. You just have to make two small cuts on the tongue between the first two eyelets.
The cut should be small and the shoelace must be able to pass through it. Make another two small cuts between the second two eyelets and do the same till you have a loop between the eyelets.
When you put the shoelace in the eyelets, make sure they also run through the holes you have made. That way, you can easily hold down the tongue.
Sew Tongue To A Side
If you notice the tongue is always sliding to a particular side, you can try this method to stop it from happening again. If the tongue keeps sliding to the left, stitch the side of the tongue to the right side of the shoe.
Make sure the stitched part of the tongue is not covering the eyelets. Once that is done, the tongue will always cover the right side of the shoe even if there is a force pulling it towards the left side.
Thursday Boots Without Sliding Tongues
Thursday boots are not the best you can get but they are some of the best high-quality boots you can ever pay for. As mentioned earlier, a sliding tongue can be caused by the poor construction of the shoes.
Let’s take a look at the best Thursday boots with tongues that sit still.
President Ankle Boots
There’s more than one reason to go for this pair. You should click the link below and check the comments. The only plausible complaint this boot has received is about the length of the laces.
The shoelaces are a tad too long but that doesn’t affect the boots or your comfort in any way. It also has nothing to do with sliding tongues.
Duke Chelsea Leather Boots
Diplomat Mac Toe Boots
It takes some time to break in but the boots are not uncomfortable. They fit perfectly. You can check out the boots by clicking the link below.
Cavalier Chelsea Boots
This is the most stylish pair of boots on the list. You can’t be disappointed. The boots are slip-on so you don’t have to worry about sliding tongues. Speaking of stylish, Cavalier Chelsea Boots are so beautiful that you can wear them even on a Friday.
That’s how nice they are. It is quite similar to the other Chelsea boots on this list, but this one is sleeker than expected. The link is waiting for you below. Catch it while you can.
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