The Jordan Retro 5 is a laced sneaker in the Air Jordan Line originated by Nike. The Retro 5 comes in many different color schemes, but the design of the shoe is uniform throughout its various styles. This means that the strings are arranged in the same pattern regardless of the style. Because of this fact, shoestrings can be easily taken out and interchanged between pairs as a fashion statement. Lacing up Retro 5s is easy.

Remove the strings from their package. Insert one end of the shoestring through the bottommost hole on the left and the other end through the bottommost hole on the right. Insert the aglet (the plastic tip at the end of the shoestring) down through each hole so that the string goes through the bottom of the hole. Pull both ends of the string so that an equal length of string is on each side.

Continue to insert each end of the shoestring down through the hole on the opposite side, starting with the left side, then the right, each time pulling both strings so that an equal length of string remains on both sides. Continue doing this until you reach the top of the shoe.

Insert both strings through the plastic piece at the top of the Retro 5. This piece is called the lacelock. Pull the strings through so that an even amount of string comes out on both sides. Because the lace lock is removable, this step may be avoided.

Insert the ends of the string on each side through either the lower or upper holes at the top sides of the shoe.