Abstract: Various embodiments of protective footwear are disclosed with improved ventilation characteristics. The protective footwear includes a toe cap having a ventilation channel, and various other ventilation structures to improve heat-transfer properties of the footwear.

Abstract: A metatarsal guard is provided which is adapted to have improved flexibility while maintaining adequate protection for the metatarsal region of a user's foot. The guard may include a flexible section spanning the width of the guard in a medial-lateral direction and comprising a pattern of perforations extending entirely or partway through the thickness of the metatarsal guard. In some aspects, the pattern of perforations may allow for expansion along the medial and lateral edges of the guard, while resisting deformation caused by outside impact.

Abstract: A holistically improved shoe that incorporates beneficial aspects relating to a variety of interconnected elements, including comfort, sustainability, washability, ease of manufacturing, style, freedom and natural movement of the foot, as well as the sensory experience of a user. The shoe contains a removable insert that is configured to be removed and washed in between uses or as needed, such that a sock or other liner is unnecessary. The shoe further includes a footbed and an outsole that contain matching tread patterns. The matching tread patterns of the present technology allow the footbed and the outsole to move in concert by splaying during a stride in order to better absorb shock by mimicking the natural movements of the foot.

Abstract: Disclosed is a waterproof shoe with an improved ventilation mechanism, designed to circulate air from the outside environment through the shoe in order to provide convective cooling to a wearer's foot. In a desired embodiment, the shoe may incorporate a pump-ventilation mechanism which, coupled with airflow channels incorporated in the upper, acts to establish continuous substantially one-way airflow through the shoe in a heel-to-toe direction while a user walks.

Abstract: A knitted element may include at least three zones. The first zone may include terry loop knitting. The second zone may include mesh knitting. The third zone may include jersey knitting. The knitted element may include at least one seamless transition between the first zone and the second zone, or between the first zone and the third zone so that terry loop knitting is continuous with either the mesh knitting or the jersey knitting. The first zone, the second zone, and the third zone may each include wool knitting. The terry loop knitting may be adapted to provide warmth in areas where it is needed, while the mesh knitting may be adapted to provide breathability in areas where it is needed. The jersey knitting may provide an intermediate level of warmth and breathability.