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• lace-up
  lace-up

  noun

  anything that laces up, especially a boot with shoelaces that lace up from the vamp to the top of the boot.
• lace up
  lace up

  verb

  (tr, adverb) to tighten or fasten (clothes or footwear) with laces

lace-up

American  

[leys-uhp] / ˈleɪsˌʌp /

noun

1. anything that laces up, especially a boot with shoelaces that lace up from the vamp to the top of the boot.

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adjective

1. having a lace that is laced up as a closure.

   a lace-up blouse.

lace up British  

verb

1. (tr, adverb) to tighten or fasten (clothes or footwear) with laces

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adjective

1. (of footwear) to be fastened with laces

noun

1. a lace-up shoe or boot

Etymology

Origin of lace-up

First recorded in 1830–40; noun and adj. use of verb phrase lace up

Example Sentences

She took off her white coat to reveal a second outfit, this time a deep maroon dress with a lace-up back.

From BBC • May 4, 2026

She steers brides who are taking GLP-1s toward more forgiving silhouettes, for instance suggesting dresses with adjustable lace-up backs instead of zippers, and prefers cuts that flare at the waist to help mask weight fluctuations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 25, 2026

Her living room walls are lined with old-timey lace-up heels that she says were only ever worn by Bette Midler, as she was the only actor with feet small enough to wear them.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 9, 2025

For the last few years, every pair of men’s lace-up shoes I’ve purchased has had some messed-up laces.

From Washington Post • Mar. 12, 2023

We stood out among these city sophisticates in their sturdy lace-up shoes or good-looking pumps.

From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda