Lacing a football boot is a crucial part of preparing for play. Without careful lacing, a boot can come off in the course of play, which is both a tactical disadvantage as well as dangerous. There are various ways to lace a shoe, but the traditional American cross-lacing is always effective and also the most economic lacing scheme, using the least length of lace per eyelet.
String the lace through the two lowest eyelets (closest to the toe). You can lace them from below or above, as long as the arrangement is consistent.
Continue the pattern of criss-crossing and lacing all the way up the shoe. This arrangement will work whether the shoe has an even or odd number of eyelet pairs.