A footwear assembly comprising: a footwear upper assembly comprising an outer layer and a floating tongue , the footwear upper assembly including a toe box section , a medial side , a lateral side , a heel section, and a central throat section ; a lace cable with a first end anchored to the upper assembly in a first anchor location and a second end anchored to the upper assembly in a second anchor location ; a plurality of lace guides distributed on the upper assembly along the medial side and the lateral side of the central throat , each lace guide of the plurality of lace guides adapted to receive a length of the lace cable ; and a tongue lace guide assembly secured to a proximal portion of the floating tongue ; a medial heel lace guide positioned to receive the lace cable from the tongue lace guide assembly along the medial side of the upper assembly ; a lateral heel lace guide positioned to receive the lace cable from the tongue lace guide assembly along the lateral side of the upper assembly ; a medial lace exit routing the lace cable from the medial heel lace guide into a position allowing the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within the footwear assembly; and a lateral lace exit to route the lace cable from the lateral heel lace guide into a position to engage the lacing engine , characterised in that : the tongue lace guide assembly 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 is routed through the lateral facing tongue lace guide and down to the lateral heel lace guide , and a medial lace guide of the plurality of lace guides routes the lace cable on to the medial facing tongue lace guide , which routes the lace cable on towards the medial heel lace guide . a footwear upper assembly comprising an outer layer and a floating tongue , the footwear upper assembly including a toe box section , a medial side , a lateral side , a heel section, and a central throat section ; a lace cable with a first end anchored to the upper assembly in a first anchor location and a second end anchored to the upper assembly in a second anchor location ; a plurality of lace guides distributed on the upper assembly along the medial side and the lateral side of the central throat , each lace guide of the plurality of lace guides adapted to receive a length of the lace cable ; and a tongue lace guide assembly secured to a proximal portion of the floating tongue ; a medial heel lace guide positioned to receive the lace cable from the tongue lace guide assembly along the medial side of the upper assembly ; a lateral heel lace guide positioned to receive the lace cable from the tongue lace guide assembly along the lateral side of the upper assembly ; a medial lace exit routing the lace cable from the medial heel lace guide into a position allowing the lace cable to engage a lacing engine disposed within the footwear assembly; and a lateral lace exit to route the lace cable from the lateral heel lace guide into a position to engage the lacing engine , characterised in that : the tongue lace guide assembly 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 is routed through the lateral facing tongue lace guide and down to the lateral heel lace guide , and a medial lace guide of the plurality of lace guides routes the lace cable on to the medial facing tongue lace guide , which routes the lace cable on towards the medial heel lace guide . <EOS>