Add Some Snap and Stick to Your Game With These Freestyle Shoes

Instructions for tweaking a pair of adidas Rod Lavers to create the perfect footbag shoes

There’s no getting around the fact that a fab footbag will help spice up your game. Still, if you don’t have the right shoes for your style, you may be selling yourself short. Then again, walking into a sports store in search of the perfect footbag shoe may be next to impossible. Sure, there used to be many great choices out there (including the beloved Nike Avenger, Le Coq Sportif Super Ashe, and the Nike Wimbledon Court), but these relics are long gone. However, the news isn’t all bad…the Rod Laver by Adidas proves to be an excellent shoe for all footbag styles. The Rod Lavers are almost perfect…”almost” being the important word here. With just a few simple modifications, these shoes will be the best that you’ve ever kicked in.

Step I -- Operate

This step will require some type of sharp cutting object like an Exacto knife. Razor blades also work; just make sure that your hands are as steady as a surgeons. Now, look for the stitching that helps to hold the tongue of the shoe in place. This stitching will be located near the eyelet holes. Using your sharp object, start cutting that double stitching on both sides of the tongue. This step will allow the shoe to be a bit looser while creating a larger toe area (great for kicking and stalling) – don’t worry; they shouldn’t fall apart from this slightly modification.

Step II – Learn to Tie Your Shoes

There are a couple different ways that you can tie your shoes…and you thought you already knew how to tie them properly. The first way is to lace them up as you normally would, but stop at the third hole from the top (not the first). This will further increase that toe area, and it will also give you some great side support.

You can also try and lace them up the Kenny Shults way by following these three steps:

Lace those shoes from the bottom up to the top, but begin with the third hole from the bottom.
This one is going to sound kind of nutty, but it works…bring the lace down towards the toe of the shoe; run it up through the first hole; and then run it down through the fifth hole. Repeat this lacing technique on both sides of the shoe.
Bring the lace across to the alternate side, and bring it up to the fourth hole. Avoid crossing sides, and then bring it down to the sixth hole. Now, tighten those laces and observe…better stability, wider toe area, and an awesome wall.

Step III – Extra String Repair

You may find that (after all that fancy lacing) you’re left with a lot of extra lace. You can simply forget about that extra string, but if it bugs you there are a couple of things that you can do.

Get creative with your knot tying.
Use that trusty Exacto (or razor), and cut those strings.
Invest in laces that aren’t so long – why do they make them so long anyway?
Try this trusty knot: run the excess lace through the last shoe hole. Now, place the lace that’s on the right and bring it through the loop on the left. Then, take the lace on the left and bring it through the loop that’s on the right side.
Tuck those extra laces into your shoes – if this doesn’t bother your feet, it’s the simplest way to deal with those extra laces.

Step IV – More Options

Want more lacing options? Try one of these techniques out:

Use a lace spacer. A simple piece of plastic tubing will suffice. Most people tend to prefer tubing that’s around 1/4 –inch in length, though some people prefer shorter spacers. Simply run the lace through the tubing until it feels comfortable – don’t forget to run the lace underneath (not on top) of the tubing.
Bring the tubing up, so that it is tight against the third hole. This way, your shoes will be tight and sturdy.

Step V – The Grand Finish

Creating your own freestyle shoes is the perfect way to perfect your game. If you follow these directions your shoes may look kind of funny, but they’ll be the best darn freestyle shoes that you’ll ever own…with the largest toe area known to man.