How to Lace Air Jordan 6 Retro — Complete Guide to the “Mystery Side Hole” + History, Design, Fit, and Restoration Tips

If you’ve ever looked closely at a pair of Air Jordan 6 Retro, there’s a good chance you stared at that random extra hole on the side panel and wondered:

“What the hell is that hole for?”

You’re not alone — 90% of people have no clue.

Most pairs you see in public don’t use it. Some people think it’s decorative. Some think it’s ventilation. Some people don’t lace it because they don’t know how. And some have never even noticed it.

In this full guide, I break down everything about that “mystery” side hole, why it exists, how it was intended to be used, and the exact lacing method I use to make the shoe sit clean on-foot while keeping the classic Jordan 6 shape.

This is based on the pair you see in the photos — a clean white/black Air Jordan 6 Retro that I picked up and restored. I show the before/after, the difference between using the side panel hole and skipping it, and how the laces change the silhouette of the entire shoe.

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🕶️ Why the Jordan 6 Has That Extra Side Hole (Real Explanation)

The Air Jordan 6 was designed in 1991 by Tinker Hatfield, the same genius behind the Jordan 3, 4, 5, 11, etc. The 6 was built for support and lockdown because this was the shoe Michael Jordan would wear while chasing — and winning — his first NBA championship.

The side panel hole is part of that lockdown system.

It’s placed higher and farther back than the normal eyelets, and the idea was simple:

✔ pull the midfoot higher

✔ bring the leather panel closer to the ankle

✔ give extra stability during aggressive cuts

✔ stop foot slide inside the sneaker

Today, most people ignore the hole because they don’t know how to thread it, or they want a looser lifestyle fit instead of a performance basketball fit. But if you’re wearing the Jordan 6 in 2025 as a lifestyle shoe AND you want a clean shape, the side hole actually makes the shoe look better.

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👟 What the Jordan 6 Was Made From (Materials & Build)

This pair uses:

• Tumbled leather upper — classic retro material

• Neoprene inner sleeve — gives that sock-like fit

• Rubber spoiler pull tab — inspired by sports cars

• Visible Air unit in the heel

• Two pull-holes on the tongue — standard Jordan 6 design

• Perforation clusters for breathability

The perforations, side holes, and the panel geometry were all designed so the shoe tightens in a specific direction. If you don’t use the hole, the shoe can look loose around the top of the foot. When you run the lace through the side hole, the shape tightens and looks more athletic.

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🔧 Step-by-Step Lacing Using the Side Hole

Here’s the exact method shown in my video:

1. Start with straight bar lacing

This keeps the toe area clean and lets the shoe sit flat.

2. Lace the first 3–4 holes normally

Keep it snug but not tight. Jordan 6 tongues sit high, so you want a smooth flow up to the midfoot.

3. Thread into the “mystery” side hole

This is where everything changes.

Pull the lace diagonally through that side panel hole — the one everyone always ignores. Immediately the side leather lifts slightly and tightens against the foot.

4. Bring the lace back into the main eyelets

Now the shape becomes sharper and more vertical.

5. Tie the shoe loose at the top

Jordan 6s look best when the top two lace points are loose, letting the tongue stand straight.

6. Compare before/after (huge difference)

In my photos, you can see one shoe unlaced and the other laced properly.

The difference is night and day — one looks sloppy, the other looks like a real sneaker setup.

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👀 About My Pair (Details Shown in Photos)

Inside this pair you’ll find markings like:

• F14911

• M/S

• 03041406R

These don’t indicate “vintage” but are factory production codes, mold stamps, or batch numbers used for sorting specific runs. I share them because collectors often ask and because some buyers want to verify markings before buying used Jordans online.

Later, I’ll put this pair on eBay — when the listing is live, I’ll update this article with the link.

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🧼 Restoration Notes (If You Found a Pair Like Mine)

This Jordan 6 Retro pair had:

• creasing around the toe

• tongue discoloration

• lace yellowing

• dust inside the neoprene sleeve

I cleaned it using:

✔ mild sneaker foam

✔ microfiber towel

✔ lace wash

✔ simple midsole scrub

Leather responded well and the tumbled grain looks cleaner than before.

If you’re restoring Air Jordan 6s, always avoid harsh chemicals — the neoprene tongue and inner sleeve can stain easily.

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✨ Why This Lacing Method Makes the Jordan 6 Look Way Better

The Jordan 6 is one of those shoes that either looks phenomenal or goofy, depending entirely on how it’s laced.

When the side hole is ignored:

• the midfoot looks empty

• the leather panel collapses inward

• the tongue looks too tall

• the front angle looks sloppy

When the side hole IS used properly:

✔ The shoe gets a sharper shape

✔ The side leather tightens

✔ Tongue sits perfectly in the center

✔ On-foot look becomes clean and finished

✔ Heel pull and tongue holes align like intended

Most people have never even tried it — that’s why this tutorial exists.

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📣 Conclusion

If you ever wondered:

“What is that extra side hole on the Jordan 6 for?”

Now you know — and now you can actually use it.

The Jordan 6 Retro has a lot of personality, a lot of history, and a lot of design thinking behind it. When you lace it right, the shoe transforms from “okay” to “damn, that looks legit.”

Whether you’re restoring a pair, selling a pair, or just want your Jordan 6s to look cleaner, this method works every time.