Shoelaces as a Weapon! It comes as no surprise that, throughout history, spies all over the world have used all sorts of secret skills, tools, and training 1 And though the most famous secret agent of them all – James Bond – might have been a fictional character, his preferred methods and devices aren’t all totally fictional. 

One trick that 2 in their arsenal during the Cold War, however, might surprise even Bond himself. In order to pass messages to one another in the most secret way possible, they 3 .

Even during the Cold War, CIA agents who 4 had to tie their shoes in the morning just like everyone else. Only, when they did it, they would often tie them in specific ways 5 to other agents. For example, if an agent were to approach another and glance down at his shoes to see a certain pattern, he would immediately know that the shoelaces signaled “I have information”., “Follow me”. or “I brought someone with me”.

This information comes from “The Official CIA Manual of Trickery and Deception”, a guide that the agency commissioned from magician John Mulholland in 6 . They wanted him to teach them easy to perform tricks so they could communicate more secretively in the field. Thus, shoelaces became secret messages.

A

CIA agents had

B

so another agent could read it

C

spies used to deceive 

D

to complete their missions

E

were deep undercover

F

the middle of the Cold War

G

that acted as coded messages

H

cleverly used some everyday items