Applying a little realism here, it's more likely that he needs to learn a good knot.
I've a pair of autumn-winter sneakers, laces on which were complete bastards until I learned a much better way to tie them(let's see if I can describe it) - you do your base, then you pick the opposite laces at midpoints, make loops, tie one against another, then pass the other one around as well, and pull them apart, securing the knot. This thing almost doesn't know how to loosen up on itself since there's so much friction now.
Also, look up Matt Parker's trick to do the basic lace-tying in a much faster convenient way.