An article of footwear has a tubular structure that may conform to various anatomical features of a foot. The tubular structure has a tunnel, and a tensile strand runs through the tunnel. Applying tension along the tensile strand may cause the tubular structure to conform more closely to one or more anatomical features. The geometry, or path, of the tubular structure on the article may be customized.

A shoe upper comprising a knitted fabric has tubular portions having axial directions parallel to a tongue of the shoe upper, being knitted tubularly, and having shoelace holes. The tubular portions are filled with a filler so that the knitted fabric of the tubular portions is reinforced. The knitted fabric around the shoelace holes may be easily reinforced.

The inventive subject matter shown and described is directed to an item of footwear with a tensioning system, comprising: a shell for enclosing a foot and at least a portion of a lower leg; a pair of opposing edges generally aligned along the top of foot portion of the shell and/or a front lower leg portion, the edges generally aligning with a longitudinal axis of the foot and/or lower leg, the opposing edges defining opposite sides of the shell; a foot retraction system comprising a tension path and at least two anchor points disposed along the path on the opposite sides of the shell and supporting at least one tensionable cable section disposed along the path, at least one anchor point comprising a tensioning mechanism, the tensioning mechanism allowing for adjustable tensioning of the cable section, the anchor points being arranged on opposite sides of the shell that support the edges, at least one being on a lateral or medial side of a boot and not on the top of the foot and front of the lower leg, so that tensioning of the cable causes the opposing edges to converge together. The inventive subject matter is particularly suitable for use in boots for snow and skating sports or any other such sport where sliding movement of the foot or leg relative to the item of footwear is undesirable and where secure coupling of the item to the foot and leg facilitates transfer of power to a board, ski, skate blade, set of skate wheels, etc., that is coupled to the item.

A traction cleat applicable for use in field sports is provided with dynamic traction elements having larger radial thickness, cross-sectional area and mass than dynamic elements in golf shoe cleats. The strength of a locking arrangement for the cleat in a shoe-mounted receptacle is enhanced by providing an annular array of spaced locking stubs on the receptacle to engage a similar array of spaced locking posts on the cleat.

A safety slipper (10) includes a stretchable fabric material upper portion (12) and a porous anti-skid lower portion. The upper portion has a foot opening (16) and a profile heel pocket (17). The lower portion (13) is made from a scrim cloth type material having a knit of polyester threads (21) coated with a soft poly-vinyl chloride outer layer (22). The lower portion provides for a cris-crossing pattern or matrix of interconnected nodes (23) with spaces (24) therebetween.

A footwear ornamentation assembly includes at least one insert and a plurality of design members that can be mounted on the insert or a flip-flop for decoration purposes. The at least one insert is releasably affixed on top of a flip-flop sole. The plurality of design members present different appearances. A method for decorating a flip-flop using the flip-flop ornamentation assembly includes selecting the at least one insert from a plurality of inserts, affixing the selected insert to a top of the flip-flop sole, selecting one or more design members from the plurality of design members, and mounting the selected one or more design members to the at least one of the selected insert and the flip-flop.

An article of footwear includes projection members providing sensory feedback. The projection members are movable relative to an upper of the article of footwear. When the upper encounters a surface of an object, the projection members may be displaced in a direction towards wearer's foot. The projection members may be configured so that they are inserted into apertures located on the upper, and extend above an outer surface of the upper.

The present invention relates to a sole element, such as an insole, for a shoe, in particular for a sports shoe, as well as to a shoe, in particular a sports shoe. A sole element for a shoe comprises a first portion and a second portion, wherein the second portion comprises a deformable material, which is adapted to generate heat by being deformed. The sole element moreover comprises a transport element adapted for selectively directing the generated heat from the second portion to the first portion.

Shoes and/or shoe elements facilitate natural foot motion and/or reduce forces tending to fight natural foot motion. In at least some such structures, a wearer's heel is secured to the hindfoot region of a shoe (e.g., by a strap system) in a manner that permits heel/forefoot rotation and that allows the lower leg to remain straight. In other structures, a shoe can include a heel supporting component that is separate from a midsole component, and this heel supporting component can move toward the lateral side and/or medial side of the shoe along an interface between the heel supporting component and the midsole component. Other suitable shoe and shoe component structures also are described.

The present invention relates generally to a device for supporting the foot and more particularly to a device for relieving pressure from specific areas of the foot, and for relaxing and shortening the musculatures of the foot by raising the arch. Through specific shapes and materials, the design intends to aid in alignment, add comfort, and prevent and relieve many foot problems and other lower extremity ailments. The device is uniquely designed to sit in the midfoot region of an article of footwear to relieve pressure from the heel and forefoot, redistribute pressure more evenly across the foot, and support the foot arches. The device may be constructed from flexible material which allows the orthotic to form to the shape of the shoe it is placed in. The medial wing portion of the orthotic device may utilize the medial wall of a shoe to increase arch support.

A foot support system for any shoe; walking, athletic, men, women's dress shoes, children's shoes. The system includes a base that conforming to the contour of a human foot, a heel post attached to the base and extending substantially under heel bone to relieve pressure on contact and provide stability and heel support, a transverse metatarsal stabilization bar located posterior or behind the metatarsal heads in the mid foot for stability of control of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th metatarsal. A first ray extension originates at the metatarsal stabilization bar posterior to the metatarsal heads in the middle of the foot and ending distal-end to the mid-section of the first toe. Fifth ray extension originates at the transverse metatarsal stabilization bar posterior to the metatarsal heads in the middle of the foot and ending distal-end to the mid-section of the fifth toe. The orthotic system can be designed as an insert independent of a convention shoe sole, or may be incorporated into the sole of the shoe.

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes an upper layer comprised of a plate member and a lower layer comprised of a plurality of segmented portions separated by flexing regions. The flexing regions may comprise portions of a compressible material. The sole structure accommodates vertical bending and torsion, while limiting lateral bending.

An article of footwear has a sole assembly that is further comprised of a chassis, a reinforcing member and a forefoot plate. The reinforcing member includes lateral and medial forefoot portions that fit with corresponding recesses in the forefoot plate and the reinforcing member in the forefoot region of the chassis. The reinforcing member includes a central portion that figs with a corresponding recess in the heel region of the chassis. The chassis and the forefoot plate include ridges on their outer surfaces. Cleats extending from ridges in the forefoot of the chassis are vertically aligned with protrusions on ridges in the forefoot plate. The protrusions can help diffuse forces applied by the cleats against the inner components of the sole and foot to reduce point loading.

According to the present invention, a convertible footwear apparatus can be worn as a shoe or converted to a boot by attaching or removing an upper section from the shoe. The apparatus is configured to allow someone wearing the shoe component to attach or remove the upper section with a single continuous operation and without having to remove the shoe component from the wearer's foot. In one embodiment of the invention, the apparatus comprises a zipper. In another embodiment of the invention, the shoe component includes a heel.

Described are shoes for ball sports including an upper having an outer surface. An actuator is configured to change at least one surface property of a portion of the outer surface of the upper, and a sensor is configured to be sensitive to movements of the shoe. A processing unit is connected to the actuator and the sensor and configured to process sensor data retrieved from the sensor and to cause the actuator to change the at least one surface property of the portion of the outer surface of the upper if a predetermined event is detected in the sensor data.

An adjustable arch support for a shoe is provided. The adjustable arch support forms a loop within the shoe, surrounding the arch. An end of a band forming the loop within the shoe can be drawn tight, thereby providing additional support for the arch. The end can then be loosened to release the foot or to provide less support.

A footwear effects toning of the leg muscles. It includes two soles and a redress mechanism contained within each of the soles for redressing the positions of the soles, in order to adjust corresponding feet positions by toning the leg muscles. A shock absorbing pebble for use within the soles, includes an elastic membrane that deforms under pressure, and that defines two chambers that are connected by means of a gas permeable membrane. In a balanced position, the first chamber is filled with a mixture of gas along with fluid, and the second chamber is filled with gas. As an external force is applied to the membrane, gas molecules are forced into the second chamber, inflating it until equilibrium is achieved, thus dampening the external force.

An article of footwear has an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure includes a chamber that encloses a pressurized fluid. The chamber includes subchambers laterally extending in a medial to lateral direction of the bladder. A bottom surface of the chamber may include at least one bond that laterally extends across the bottom surface of the chamber from one side edge to another side edge of the chamber in the medial to lateral direction. The bond may cooperate with an indentation in the bottom surface that separates one subchamber from an adjacent subchamber. A diameter of the subchambers may decrease in a direction from a heel region of the bladder to a forefoot region of the chamber.

A shoe, and method of manufacture, comprised of (i) a shoe upper having an arrangement of holes in the bottom surface, (ii) an outer sole having an arrangement of holes corresponding to the arrangement of holes in the bottom surface of the shoe upper, and (iii) an inner sole disposed within the shoe upper, the inner sole having a plurality of pegs that extend from its bottom surface that are arranged in alignment with the arrangement of holes in the shoe upper and outer sole when the inner sole is disposed within the shoe upper, each peg extending downwardly through its associated hole in the shoe upper and the outer sole, so that, in the preferred embodiment, the bottom surface of each peg is exposed to, and forms part of, bottom surface of the shoe.

An insole liner for a shoe is disclosed. The liner consists of a wedge shaped member having opposite back and front ends, a top surface and a bottom surface. The liner has a polyurethane base layer, a middle layer made of silicone gel and a top layer made from memory foam. The wedge shaped member has a thickness which tapers from the back end towards the front end. The base layer has a shore hardness which progressively decreases from the back end of the wedge shaped member to the front end of the wedge shaped member and wherein the middle layer has a shore hardness which progressively increases from the back end of the wedge shaped member to the front end of the wedge shaped member. Finally, the bottom surface has a plurality of projections.

The separate insole 2 with the, ventilation system is separately insertable in the shoe and the separate insole 2 has longitudinal grooves I downwards, which extend from the space of the heel to the space of the toe through bottom surface an elastic foam layer of the separate insole 2. The rear ends of the longitudinal grooves 1 have an air inlet in the space of the heel and the front ends of the longitudinal grooves 1 have an air outlet in the space of the toe. During step, the longitudinal grooves 1 are gradually compressed from the heel to the toe and air is forced from the longitudinal grooves 1 to the inner toe space of the shoe.

An article of footwear may be constructed of a matrix of beads. For example, by preconfiguring the row length and the number of beads in a given row, the bead matrix may be configured to form a three dimensional shape that pulls towards a centerline or is concave.

A shoe garter configured and designed to secure a shoe to a user's foot. The shoe garter device comprises a flexible strap with fastening means to secure the shoe garter about the shoe and foot of the wearer. The shoe garter device further comprises gripping member on the inner side for frictionally securing the garter to a shoe. The shoe garter may also be adapted and configured to comprise one or more designs, decorative elements, and/or indicia, for varying the decorative appearance and providing different styles to the shoe garter. Typically, the fastening means may comprise hook and loop type fasteners.

The present disclosure illustrates a vamp with an embossed pattern. The vamp includes plain cloth and an embossed layer. The plain cloth is breathable fabric blended with hot-melt adhesive yarn. The embossed layer is formed on the plain cloth by a cold press process performed with cold press apparatus. The embossed layer formed on the vamp serves as a predetermined design pattern or as a structural reinforcement. The herein described process of manufacturing the vamp may be used as a basis to improve the manufacturing efficiency and quality of the vamp to produce a high quality shoe product at a reasonable price. The resulting shoe product has present-day desired characteristics and features beyond those provided in shoes made with conventional vamps, and may include added comfort, specific protection features and appear aesthetically appealing and fashionable.

Flip flops with a barrier circumscribing the flip flop sole. The barrier protects the feet from water splashes, puddles, wet grass and wind. The flip flops are open in a vertical direction, and therefore highly breathable. The barrier is waterproof and therefore provides excellent water protection. The barrier can be about 0.5-4 inches or about 0.7-3 inches tall. Alternatively, the barrier height can be at least 1/3, 40%, 1/2, 2/3, or 3/4 the length of a toe strap. The barrier can be made of closed cell foam or plastic film. The barrier can have attachment tabs for attachment to the sole. The attachment between the sole and barrier is water tight.

The present invention relates to an interchangeable footwear device. The device may include a flip-flop sandal design wherein the device may include interchangeable structural features to allow a user to change features as associated with a particular terrain. The interchangeable footwear device includes a gripping system to traverse a number of different terrains. The footwear may include a sole member having a thong member attached to a top of the sole and a heel strap selectively attached to the sole. The heel strap may be selectively attached to the sole with a fastener that may be manually adjusted in a secured or unsecured position to remove the heel strap from the sole. In particular, the interchangeable footwear device may include a gripping unit selectively attached to the sole member of the footwear. The gripping unit may include a toe grip pad and a heel grip pad.

[Problem] To provide a sports inner boot that ensures removal from a sports outer boot to allow an inside to be easily washed and where a drying time be a comparatively short time. [Solution] A sports inner boot made of a thermoplastic plastic includes a bottom plate 10 disposed in the sports outer boot and a foot wrap portion 20 formed at the bottom plate 10. The bottom plate 10 and the foot wrap portion 20 are integrally formed. The bottom plate 10 and the foot wrap portion 20 contain an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer material (EVA).

An apparatus that assists foot movement includes a normally twisted plate configured to interact with the foot. The foot has a pronation axis, and the normally twisted plate is biased and configured to twist about a plate axis that substantially approximates the pronation axis in response to a load received from the foot during foot pronation. As the foot pronates, the plate twists to apply a non-linear force substantially about the plate axis.

A cushioning member includes a first lattice structure and a second lattice structure. The first lattice structure includes a first network of struts and nodes with voids defined between the struts and nodes. The second lattice structure includes a second network of struts and nodes with voids defined between the struts and nodes. The first network of struts and nodes is interwoven with the second network of struts and nodes such that the first network of struts and nodes extends through the voids in the second network of struts and nodes.

A sole structure for an article of footwear includes one or more outsole portions. At least some of these outsole portions include a plurality of alternating upward-facing and downward-facing elongate channels. The channels may have a base and two sidewalls, with adjacent channels sharing a common sidewall. The bases of the downward-facing channels form an upper surface of the outsole portion and the bases of the upward-facing channels form a lower surface of the outsole portion. The sidewalls are arranged at non-perpendicular angles to the upper surface. A first outsole portion has a pressure-versus-strain curve having a local maximum at a “trip point” pressure value and a first strain value and wherein the pressure-versus-strain curve has a change in strain of at least approximately 10% before a second occurrence of the “trip point” pressure value is reached. An article of footwear having the sole structure attached to an upper is also provided.

The embodiments relate to an article of footwear and method of manufacturing that includes a first layer and a second layer configured to form a plurality of tunnels configured to receive a cord system. The manufacturing includes steps of placing a first layer, placing a cord on the first layer, securing the cord on the first layer, placing a second layer on the first layer and the cord, attaching the second layer to the first layer, and detaching the cord from the first layer. When the cord is secured with a thread, the thread may be removed by dissolving or cutting. The attaching of the second layer to the first layer can be completed by stitching or thermal welding, for example.

An article of footwear that includes a first envelope extending lengthwise from a rear end to a front end, widthwise between a lateral side and a medial side, and heightwise from a bottom to a top end, the first envelope demarcating a volume for receiving a foot, the article of footwear including a second envelope extending lengthwise from a rear end to a front end, widthwise between a lateral side and a medial side, and heightwise from a bottom to a top end, the second envelope demarcating a volume for receiving a foot, the first envelope and the second envelope being arranged opposite one another. In the area of at least one subdivision, the article of footwear includes an intermediate component deformable elastically and reversibly, the intermediate component being arranged between the first envelope and the second envelope.

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