Abstract: A lightweight, breathable, translucent and high-strength upper formed from a half-gauge knit, at least in part from a high tenacity yarn and a fusible yarn, is described. The upper may include a knit heel structure. Methods of manufacture, including exposing the upper to steam while in a tensioned state to at least partially melt the fusible yarn to adjacent yarns is also described. Subsequent cooling of the fusible yarn retains the upper in a stretched condition.

Abstract: An assembly-type insole of the present invention is a shoe insole arranged on an inner bottom surface of a shoe so as to protect the sole of a wearer's foot, the insole comprising: a heel bottom-support configured to support a bottom part of the heel of the wearer's foot; a heel bottom support plate configured to allow the heel bottom support to be attached thereto; an inner arch support configured to support the inner arch part of the wearer's foot sole; an arch inside-support plate positioned inwardly from the longitudinal center of the arch of the foot sole to allow the inner arch support attached thereto; an outer arch support configured to support the outer arch part of the foot sole; an outer arch support plate positioned outwardly from the longitudinal center of the arch of the foot sole to allow the outer arch support attached thereto; an insole base configured to support the arch of the sole and the sole positioned at the front of the arch; and a support plate engagement member configured to allow th

Abstract: An article of footwear is provided and includes an upper having a bottom surface and a first plate attached to the bottom surface of the upper in a forefoot region. The first plate includes a lateral peripheral cleat disposed adjacent to a first outward-most portion of the upper on a lateral side and a medial peripheral cleat disposed adjacent to a second outward-most portion of the upper on a medial side, the medial peripheral cleat being disposed closer to an anterior end of the first plate than the lateral peripheral cleat.

Abstract: An upper of a shoe covering at least a part of a foot, the upper including: a medial portion covering a medial surface of the foot; a lateral portion covering a lateral surface of the foot; a plurality of panel portions provided in the medial portion and/or the lateral portion while being spaced apart from each other in a front-rear direction of the foot and extending in a foot girth direction crossing the front-rear direction of the foot; and a plurality of string portions formed from linear members extending in the front-rear direction, and arranged so as to extend between a pair of the plurality of panel portions that are adjacent to each other in the front-rear direction, wherein the panel portion and the string portion are formed from a single piece of fabric.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper defining a throat configured to receive a foot. The article of footwear also includes a sole structure coupled to the upper. The article of footwear further includes a panel having a first side coupled to the upper for movement between an open position and a closed position. The panel exposes a portion of the throat in the open position and covers the portion of the throat in the closed position. The article of footwear also includes a strap having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end and the second end are disposed on a first side of the upper with a body portion of the strap disposed between the first end and the second end surrounding the upper.

Abstract: Articles of footwear and methods of making articles of footwear including one or more continuous threads wound around anchor points. In some embodiments, thread lines of continuous thread(s) may extend tangential to an opening on a thread pattern or an upper. In some embodiments, thread lines of continuous thread(s) may define a portion of an upper and extend through a sole for an article of footwear. In some embodiments, thread patterns defined by the continuous thread(s) may be bonded to each other around a sheet to form an upper material for an upper.

Abstract: Designs for insoles comprising forefoot support are described herein. In certain embodiments, the forefoot support comprises openings and grooves that confer ventilation and flexibility. Insoles may be customized for individual users and specific types of footwear.

Abstract: An article of footwear has a sole including a toe portion and a heel portion, a toe bumper disposed on the toe portion, the toe bumper being configured to contact a ball, and a heel bumper disposed on the heel portion, the heel bumper being configured to contact the ball, wherein at least one of the toe bumper and the heel bumper has an asymmetric shape.

Abstract: Certain embodiments according to the invention provide compression articles suitable for a wide variety of uses (e.g., compression socks, athletic garments, etc.). In accordance with certain embodiments, the compression article includes at least two uniform compression regions, including a first uniform compression region having a first compression pressure and a second uniform compression region having a second compression pressure, and at least one transitioning compression region, including a first transitioning compression region positioned between the first and second uniform compression regions. The first transitioning compression region comprises a first end adjacent or proximate to the first uniform compression region and a second end adjacent or proximate to the second uniform compression region. The first transitioning compression region comprises a compression pressure gradient extending from the first end to the second end of the first transitioning compression region.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing an integral shoe blank is provided. In the method, a reinforcement piece is woven by a flat knitting machine during a weave process, and the reinforcement piece is made unperceivable through a subsequent side overturning step when viewing from an exterior of a shoe. Thus, with the reinforcement piece, structural strength of the shoe blank is reinforced while better comfort is provided to the foot by a shoe manufactured from the shoe blank.

Abstract: Ground-engaging components for articles of footwear include: (a) an outer perimeter boundary rim that at least partially defines an outer perimeter of the ground-engaging component, wherein the outer perimeter boundary rim defines an upper-facing surface and a ground-facing surface opposite the upper-facing surface, wherein the outer perimeter boundary rim defines an open space at least at a forefoot support area of the ground-engaging component; and (b) a matrix structure extending from the outer perimeter boundary rim (e.g., the ground-facing surface and/or the upper-facing surface) and across the open space at least at the forefoot support area to define an open cellular construction with plural open cells across the open space at least at the forefoot support area, wherein a plurality (e.g., at least a majority) of the open cells have curved perimeters with no distinct corners.

Abstract: A bicycle cleat-fitting tool system may include a body with a superior face and an inferior face. The body defines a cleat receptacle for receiving a cleat to be fitted, with the cleat receptacle perpendicular to a medial line of the body. The superior face of the body includes a cleat retaining mechanism to selectively hold a cleat to be fitted in place within the cleat receptacle. The body also includes angle measurement indicia to indicate a degree of rotation of the body and the cleat receptacle with respect to a bicycle shoe to be fitted with the cleat. Methods for determining an accurate toe-out angle and angle of adjustment for the cleat are also described.

Abstract: An article of footwear may include a sole structure and an upper. The upper may include a first section and a second section and may define a foot-receiving cavity over the sole structure. The first section may be fixed to the sole structure, and the second section may articulate relative to the first section between an access position and a use position, the foot-receiving cavity being more exposed when the second section is in the access position. A magnetic coupling includes a first coupling member that may be operatively secured to the second section of the upper and a second coupling member may be operatively secured to the sole structure and positioned so that the first coupling member couples with the second coupling member by magnetic force when the second section is in the access position.

Abstract: An article of footwear including an adaptive support system includes a plurality of support members. Each support member includes an outer chamber and an inner chamber, the inner chamber being filled with a magnetorheological fluid. An electromagnet is disposed adjacent to the inner chamber and can be used to vary the viscosity of the magnetorheological fluid.

Abstract: A reinforcement structure is disposed on a midsole of a shoe. A first bar extends from a first point in a medial side of the midsole to a second point in the medial side of the midsole. The second point is closer to a toe of the shoe than the first point. A second bar extends from a third point in the medial side of the midsole to a fourth point in a lateral side of the midsole. The fourth point being closer to the toe of the shoe than the third point. A third bar extending from a fifth point in the medial side of the midsole to a sixth point in the lateral side of the midsole. The sixth point being closer to the toe of the shoe than the fifth point. The third bar extending further toward the toe of the shoe than the second bar.

Abstract: A facemask for a helmet has a lower facemask section with a plurality of guard bars extending across and down the facemask section. A plurality of frame members has internal slotting, each of the frame members being attached to more than one of the plurality of guard bars extending across and down the lower facemask section. A transparent shield is located within the internal slotting of each of the frame members and the shields are fixedly secured within the slotting. The shields provide protection from outside impact to the lower part of the face of a wearer.

Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear is provided. The sole structure includes an outsole having a ground-engaging surface and an upper surface formed on an opposite side of the outsole than the ground-engaging surface. A first cushion is disposed proximate to a medial side of the sole structure and includes a first fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a second fluid-filled chamber attached to the first fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the first fluid-filled chamber and the upper. A second cushion is disposed proximate to a lateral side of the sole structure and includes a third fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a fourth fluid-filled chamber attached to the third fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the third fluid-filled chamber and the upper. The second cushion is fluidly isolated from the first cushion.

Abstract: An insole, which is insertable into a shoe and is removable from the shoe, includes at least a top layer, a middle layer, and a bottom layer. The middle layer has apertures or cavities, that define several discrete storage chambers within the insole. Each storage chamber stores a mixture of two or more particulate materials. The mixture includes one or more materials selected from Group A, which includes natural sand, synthetic sand, artificial sand, kinetic sand, silica, quartz. The mixture further includes one or more materials selected from Group B, which includes: powdered aluminum, powdered titanium, powdered zinc, powdered magnesia, powdered silver, powdered anti-bacterial agent, powdered metal, powdered talcum, grained cork, grained coal, grained wood.

Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear is provided. The sole structure includes an outsole having a ground-engaging surface and an upper surface formed on an opposite side of the outsole than the ground-engaging surface. A first cushion is disposed proximate to a medial side of the sole structure and includes a first fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a second fluid-filled chamber attached to the first fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the first fluid-filled chamber and the upper. A second cushion is disposed proximate to a lateral side of the sole structure and includes a third fluid-filled chamber attached to the upper surface of the outsole and a fourth fluid-filled chamber attached to the third fluid-filled chamber and disposed between the third fluid-filled chamber and the upper. The second cushion is fluidly isolated from the first cushion.

Abstract: Sports boot comprising: an inner boot (3); an exogenous shell (1), the dimensions of which allow said inner boot (3) to be inserted into or extracted from it, said exogenous shell strengthening said inner boot and allowing it to be attached to a piece of sports equipment; wherein said exogenous shell comprises a sole (10), a forward part of an upper (11) able to pivot with respect to said sole (10) about a first articulation (110), and a rear part of an upper (12) which is able to pivot with respect to said sole (10) about a second articulation (120).