A footwear assembly comprising: a footwear upper assembly (300, 400) comprising an outer layer (302, 402) and a floating tongue (305, 405), the footwear upper assembly (300, 400) including a toe box section (307, 407), a medial side (303, 403), a lateral side (304, 404), a heel section, and a central throat section (311, 411); a lace cable (319, 410) with a first end anchored to the upper assembly (300, 400) in a first anchor location (316, 420) and a second end anchored to the upper assembly (300, 400) in a second anchor location (317, 421); a plurality of lace guides (310, 430, 431, 432, 440, 441, 442) distributed on the upper assembly (300, 400) along the medial side (303, 403) and the lateral side (304, 404) of the central throat (311, 411), each lace guide of the plurality of lace guides (310, 430, 431, 432, 440, 441, 442) adapted to receive a length of the lace cable (319, 410); and a tongue lace guide assembly (315, 415) secured to a proximal portion of the floating tongue (305, 405); a medial heel lace guide (312, 450) positioned to receive the lace cable (319, 410) from the tongue lace guide assembly (315, 415) along the medial side (303, 403) of the upper assembly (300, 400); a lateral heel lace guide (312, 451) positioned to receive the lace cable (319, 410) from the tongue lace guide assembly (315, 415) along the lateral side (304, 404) of the upper assembly (300, 400); a medial lace exit (318, 418) routing the lace cable (319, 410) from the medial heel lace guide (312, 450) into a position allowing the lace cable (319, 410) to engage a lacing engine disposed within the footwear assembly; and a lateral lace exit (319, 419) to route the lace cable (319, 410) from the lateral heel lace guide (312, 451) into a position to engage the lacing engine, characterised in that: the tongue lace guide assembly (315, 415) includes a medial facing lace guide opposite a lateral facing lace guide, wherein from a lateral lace guide of the plurality of lace guides the lace cable (319, 410) is routed through the lateral facing tongue lace guide and down to the lateral heel lace guide (312, 451), and a medial lace guide of the plurality of lace guides routes the lace cable (319, 410) on to the medial facing tongue lace guide, which routes the lace cable (319, 410) on towards the medial heel lace guide (312, 450). a footwear upper assembly (300, 400) comprising an outer layer (302, 402) and a floating tongue (305, 405), the footwear upper assembly (300, 400) including a toe box section (307, 407), a medial side (303, 403), a lateral side (304, 404), a heel section, and a central throat section (311, 411); a lace cable (319, 410) with a first end anchored to the upper assembly (300, 400) in a first anchor location (316, 420) and a second end anchored to the upper assembly (300, 400) in a second anchor location (317, 421); a plurality of lace guides (310, 430, 431, 432, 440, 441, 442) distributed on the upper assembly (300, 400) along the medial side (303, 403) and the lateral side (304, 404) of the central throat (311, 411), each lace guide of the plurality of lace guides (310, 430, 431, 432, 440, 441, 442) adapted to receive a length of the lace cable (319, 410); and a tongue lace guide assembly (315, 415) secured to a proximal portion of the floating tongue (305, 405); a medial heel lace guide (312, 450) positioned to receive the lace cable (319, 410) from the tongue lace guide assembly (315, 415) along the medial side (303, 403) of the upper assembly (300, 400); a lateral heel lace guide (312, 451) positioned to receive the lace cable (319, 410) from the tongue lace guide assembly (315, 415) along the lateral side (304, 404) of the upper assembly (300, 400); a medial lace exit (318, 418) routing the lace cable (319, 410) from the medial heel lace guide (312, 450) into a position allowing the lace cable (319, 410) to engage a lacing engine disposed within the footwear assembly; and a lateral lace exit (319, 419) to route the lace cable (319, 410) from the lateral heel lace guide (312, 451) into a position to engage the lacing engine, characterised in that: the tongue lace guide assembly (315, 415) includes a medial facing lace guide opposite a lateral facing lace guide, wherein from a lateral lace guide of the plurality of lace guides the lace cable (319, 410) is routed through the lateral facing tongue lace guide and down to the lateral heel lace guide (312, 451), and a medial lace guide of the plurality of lace guides routes the lace cable (319, 410) on to the medial facing tongue lace guide, which routes the lace cable (319, 410) on towards the medial heel lace guide (312, 450).