I usually go with Train Track, but I've had to replace my laces recently while away and could only get ones that were too thick to double up in the eyelets so reverted to Ladder.
I find these very similar in feel to the straight methods but you can get them much tighter. Also depending on the shoes you can hide the verticals for the train track method behind the eyelets which has a distinctive look.
Same, buddy. I was on vacation when my 3 month old sneakers popped the sole (New Balance 4E, I was shocked because they usually hold up well) and needed to grab a pair. I could only find D width in the amount of time I was willing to spend away from vacation stuff.
I did the ladder lace and it helped a lot. There was a bit of extra, but not as much as I thought there would be. However, by the time I got home and got a pair that was the actual right size they had kind of lost their shape and I was spilling over the sides. They looked hilarious.
I feel slightly better that I’m not the only one who struggles to find the right size. Particularly in an emergency.
Depending on brand, I’m between 6.5 - 8 4EW, and those are damned near impossible to find anywhere without custom ordering. I’ve gotten in the habit of bringing an extra pair of at least flip flops, just in case. But my car has an old pair of shoes that just live there now. Too tight and worn out for actual use but not bad enough to toss. They have saved my ass more than once.