An improved closure system for athletic footwear, comprises a plurality of lace supports attached to the medial and lateral quarter panels of a boot. Each lace support has a holding unit at a first end and an attachment portion at a second end. The holding unit comprises a tube for holding a shoe lace. The attachment portion preferably comprises two legs which are fastened to a panel of the boot. The legs are fastened to the panels by at least one row of stitching extending traversely across the legs. The lace supports preferably are manufactured of a semi-rigid material, such as plastic, which creates a low-friction surface to pass the lace over. When embodiments of the lace supports are incorporated into athletic footwear, they result in boots that are easy to lace and that provide a secure fit to the user's foot.