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 traction element arrangement for a sole structure of an article of footwear is described. Traction elements include cut step features. Cut step features provide a traction element with a stepped height. Cut step features on medial rotational traction elements that have a plurality of stud elements arranged in a circular grouping include arc-shaped or straight cuts. Cut step features on traction elements disposed in a heel region are aligned laterally across the sole structure. Traction elements also include raised platform members. Cut step features can be combined with raised platform members.

Abstract: A swimsuit (1) has an outer shell (2) made of a flexible stretchable fabric and forms a tubular trunk portion (6) and two tubular thigh portions (7), the swimsuit (1) comprising two back stiffening lines (8) continuously connected to the outer shell (2) and extending each in a generally longitudinal direction of a one of the thigh portions (7) from a rear region (9) of the thigh portion (7) across a rear region of the trunk portion (6), in which said back stiffening lines (8) have a tensile stiffness greater than a tensile stiffness of said outer shell (2).

Abstract: An apparatus to assist in making an orthotic, insole or other footwear insert that is customized to a plantar surface of an individual's foot is provided. The apparatus includes a portable housing; a heater unit to selectively heat the orthotic or a heel cap of the footwear insert to increase its pliability; at least one alignment device to assist in positioning and orientating the individual's foot prior to conforming the orthotic or the heel cap to the plantar surface of the individual's foot; and a vacuum system to selectively apply a vacuum around the individual's foot to bring the orthotic or the heel cap into conformance with the plantar surface of the individual's foot prior to setting of the orthotic or the heel cap. Related methods of making custom orthotics, insoles and other footwear inserts are also provided.

Abstract: A double-sided fabric stacked with a continuous cord material and forming a thickness in a knitted sack is knitted from a face yarn by a flat knitting machine including a front needle bed, a back needle bed and a loop presser bed. The front needle bed includes a plurality of front knitting needles. The back needle bed includes a plurality of back knitting needles. The loop presser bed is disposed above the front or back needle bed, and includes right-directed and left-directed knitting pressing pieces. The double-sided fabric further includes at least one knitted sack including loops knitted from the face yarn by the front and back knitting needles. The knitted sack includes therein at least one continuous cord material, which is pressed into the knitted sack by the right-directed and left-directed knitting pressing pieces to become folded and stacked to form a thickness.

Abstract: A pair of sole plates for a complementary pair of articles of footwear may generally include a first article with a first sole plate and a second article with a second sole plate, where the first sole plate is asymmetrical with respect to the second sole plate. The first sole plate includes a first groove that extends along a first lateral side of the first sole plate, and the second sole plate includes a second groove that extends along a second medial side of the second sole plate. The asymmetry of first sole plate with respect to second sole plate may improve performance, flexibility, and agility during running and in particular, during athletic events along a curved track.

Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear has a sole plate with a foot-facing surface. A piston is disposed on the sole plate at the foot-facing surface. The sole structure includes a cushioning system disposed on the sole plate. The cushioning system has a variable cushioning characteristic, such as hardness or viscosity. The piston deforms the cushioning system and the variable cushioning characteristic varies in response to dorsiflexion of the sole plate.

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; (b) an inner perimeter boundary rim that at least partially defines an inner perimeter of the ground-engaging component, wherein a first open space is defined between the outer perimeter boundary rim and the inner perimeter boundary rim, and wherein a second open space is defined between a lateral side portion of the inner perimeter boundary rim and a medial side portion of the inner perimeter boundary rim; and (c) a support structure extending from the outer perimeter boundary rim to the inner perimeter boundary rim and across the first open space.

Abstract: Crochet hooks and knitting needles configured with devices and systems to assist a user in counting, tracking and following a crocheting or knitting pattern, either automatically or manually. A crochet hook or knitting needle is provided with an integrated electronic or manual counting system or device. The integrated counting systems and devices can include an electronic or manual display, a button/sensor and/or an accelerometer configured to detect a motion. The integrated counting systems and devices can also include an integrated computer, power source and software. The integrated counting systems and devices can also include wireless communication devices, optical devices, speakers, tactile signal devices and/or audio devices.

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: In one aspect, a protective headwear is provided and includes a support member configured to engage a user's head, an outer shell coupled to the support member and rotatable relative to the support member between a first position and a second position, and a member coupled between the support member and the outer shell to reduce angular velocity of the outer shell as it moves from the first position to the second position. In one aspect, the protective headwear is a welding helmet.

Abstract: An item of footwear having an interchangeable sole system, midsoles for such an item of footwear, and related methods for making such midsoles, including a receptacle incorporated in the midsole wherein a portion of the receptacle is configured to complement an engageable element of a sole unit so that a bidirectional stop is provided that helps secure the sole unit to the midsole, and wherein a material property of the receptacle differs from a material property of the midsole so that the midsole provides cushioning to the item of footwear, and the receptacle allows for engagement and disengagement of the engageable element of the sole unit to the midsole without the need for an outsole frame.

Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear includes a midsole having a first side with a first surface and a second side with a second surface. The first side has recesses extending toward the second side without extending to the second surface. A thickness of the midsole between the second side and a deepest extent of each of the recesses may be substantially uniform. Spacing of the recesses may correspond to a foot pressure map. The midsole may be a foam material that has a first density in a first portion along the first surface and a second density less than the first density in a second portion adjacent the first portion. A method of forming the midsole includes providing such recesses in the midsole such as by molding the midsole, and controlling a temperature of mold tools to achieve the first density in the first portion.

Abstract: An apparatus includes a heel platform section, a mid-foot section juxtaposed to the heel platform section, and a toe section juxtaposed to the mid-foot section. The mid-foot section and toe section collectively have a geometric shape having a first slope of a polarity along an inner edge of the apparatus from the toe section to the mid-foot section and a second slope of the polarity along the inner edge of the apparatus to the outer edge of the apparatus at the toe section.

Abstract: A knitted component for an article of footwear having a vertically inlaid tensile element is described. The vertically inlaid tensile element extends along a direction that is vertical or at an angle to the direction of the knitting process of the knitted component. A method of knitting the knitted component includes placing a quantity of a tensile element into an auxiliary element of the knitted component and vertically inlaying a tensile element by using needles of a knitting machine to hold the tensile element by loops while the remaining portion of the knitted component is formed. As the knitted component is formed along a horizontal direction on the needles of the knitting machine, the tensile element spools out from within the auxiliary element to form the vertically inlaid tensile element.

Abstract: An article of footwear is disclosed that includes a sole structure comprising a midsole and an outsole. The midsole has a plurality of midsole recesses formed in a bottom portion, and the outsole optionally defines a plurality of outsole recesses or other structures formed in a top portion thereof. The midsole recesses are formed to align with the outsole recesses to form a plurality of separately distinct fluid-filled chambers. Methods of designing such sole structures based on foot pressure data also are described.

Abstract: An insert for vapor-permeable and waterproof soles, which has a stratified and cohesive monolithic sheet-like structure, which includes a plurality of functional layers made of a polymeric material that is impermeable to water in the liquid state and permeable to water vapor. At least one functional portion of the insert for soles has such a thickness as to give it a penetration resistance of more than approximately 10 N, assessed according to the method presented in chapter 5.8.2 of the ISO 20344-2004 standard.

Abstract: An article of footwear is disclosed that includes a cinching apparatus that is configured to move the upper between an open position and a closed position. The cinching apparatus includes a spring pad with a first, second, and third portion. The third portion is elastic and configured to deform elastically from a first position toward a second position. The third portion is configured to move the first portion relative to the second portion generally in the longitudinal direction as the third portion deforms between the first position and the second position. Also, the cinching apparatus is configured to move the upper from the open position toward the closed position as the third portion of the spring pad moves from the first position toward the second position.

Abstract: A sole assembly for an article of footwear comprises a sole plate with a foot-facing surface with a recess disposed in the foot-facing surface. An insert plate is disposed in the recess. A length of the insert plate between anterior and posterior ends of the insert plate is less than a length of the recess. The insert plate flexes free of compressive loading by the sole plate when a forefoot portion of the sole assembly is dorsiflexed in a first portion of a flexion range, and operatively engages with the sole plate when the forefoot portion is dorsiflexed in a second portion of the flexion range that includes flex angles greater than in the first portion of the flexion range. The sole assembly is dorsiflexed, for example, when the forefoot portion is flexed in accordance with toes bending toward the top of the foot.

Abstract: A knitting machine capable of changing a pile length includes a low-pile sinker and a high-pile sinker, a low-pile selector jack arranged on the rear end side of the low-pile sinker, a high-pile selector jack arranged on the rear end side of the high-pile sinker, an actuator operable to, when a pile yarn and a ground yarn are drawn in by a knitting needle, selectively perform the first control in which the actuator acts on the low-pile selector jack, the second control in which the actuator acts on the high-pile selector jack, and the third control in which the actuator does not act on any of the low-pile and high-pile selector jacks, and a cam operable to push out the selector jack subjected to the action of the actuator and the sinker which is in contact with the selector jack to an area between the knitting needles.