Abstract: The disclosure relates to containers and blanks for forming the containers. The disclosed methods involve forming the containers, loading the containers with cylindrical articles such as cigarettes and dispensing the articles from the containers. The containers may include a box and a telescoping closure sleeve for selectably exposing a circular aperture in a side wall of the box. An inner wall of the box provides a curved surface for aligning an individual article or cigarette so that it may be dispensed through the aperture. The methods and structures disclosed here permit the container to be accessed and the articles or cigarettes to be dispensed, one at a time, by manipulating the container with one hand. A window in the sleeve permits the contents of the container to be viewed through an opening in the box.

Abstract: A cover for enclosing the communicating portions of a telephone handset. The inventive device includes a cover assembly positionable into an abutting relationship with the mouthpiece or earpiece of a handset. An engaging assembly extends from the cover assembly for circumferentially extending about the mouthpiece or earpiece and engaging a groove extending about the handset.

Abstract: A ski boot including at least one quarter and a rigid or overlapping-flap shell. The quarter is constituted by at least two independent strip elements which are associated with one another and/or with the shell in an oscillating manner. The boot allows the quarter to adapt to the anatomical shape of the leg and to optimize its own movement with respect to the leg natural movement, following the leg during the flexion and extension steps.

Abstract: A shoe for use on a post-operative, traumatized, diabetic or insensitive foot includes a shock absorbing sole material, with an insole of shock absorbing foam that contours to and supports the sole of the foot, and being regulated in flexibility by a metatarsal shank that limits the amount of flexibility under the metatarsophalangeal joint to provide controlled support to that area. This sole is of a special rocker design that allows the wearer to roll through the gait cycle without placing undue pressure on the heel and forefoot. The upper material consists of an outer wall of breathable, nylon mesh material lined with a soft, conforming material, reinforced at the heel by a heel cup that provides lateral stability. The heel cup is lined from the top by a full-length heel collar that conforms to the Achilles Triangle of the user, providing padding to the achilles tendon and under the malleoli, while at the same time making it impossible for the heel to slip out of the shoe during ambulation.

Abstract: A slipper having a clog appearance is constructed with a soft fabric upper and a flexible molded outsole. The construction technique hides fabric seams.

Abstract: A fastening system to secure a gaiter to a shoe is provided. The fastening system includes a shoe having a pair of studs integrally formed at the rear end thereof and a gaiter having at least three apertures on the rear end thereof. A belt is also included with an aperture formed at a center portion and having one end secured to a fastener disposed at one side of the gaiter, the other end of the belt being inserted through an aperture of a buckle formed in an opposing side of the gaiter and releasably coupled to the fastener to hold the gaiter securely in place.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a resilient shoe insole. The shoe insole is comprised of a resilient material having sufficient thickness in the heel and forefoot region to allow the resilient material to act as a spring, thereby absorbing the impact of a foot and then returning at least 70% of absorbed energy to the foot thereon and providing increased lift and response to the foot and reduced O.sub.2 demand in running relative to other insoles for a given activity. In a preferred embodiment, the shoe insole has a heel portion and a forefoot portion, wherein the heel portion is thicker than the forefoot portion. The heel portion is at least 3/8 inch thick and the forefoot portion is at least 1/4 inch thick. In another embodiment, the base is comprised of multiple laminations of the resilient material.

Abstract: The invention is a single hand operation shoe lacing system which has an elongate lace strap which is affixed at its front end to a lacing area of the shoe in the vicinity of the vamp. The lace strap is looped through a series of lace strap loops positioned in the lacing area of the shoe, alternately on the medial and lateral quarter panels of the shoe. The rear end of the lace strap adjustably carries a first engagement member with a second engagement member being positioned on the counter of the shoe. The first engagement member is adjustably positionable on the lace strap to adjust its working length. When the first engagement member is engaged with the second engagement member, the lace strap will draw the medial and lateral sides of the quarter together, and thereby fit the shoe to the wearer's foot, and when the first and second engagement members are disengaged, the medial and lateral quarter panels of the shoe can be separated, and thereby loosen the shoe on the wearer's foot.

Abstract: The custom ballet pointe shoe, with the capability to adjust the internal volume of the ballet pointe shoe, to custom-fit to the dancers foot, allowing for equalizing the vertical weight bearing to be distributed across all toes and front of the foot in all ballet "Sur le pointe" positions. The pointe shoe has a built-in sock liner covering the front of the foot, and establishing the space, closed cavity, between the front of the foot and the unshaped box of the ballet pointe shoe. After inserting the foot into the pointe shoe, the cavity is filled with the product or mixture of products, which has the capability to harden and cure, taking the permanent shape of the inserted dancers foot. The present method makes the shoe comfortable, the weight is now equally distributed, not just on the tops of the toes, but also on the whole front of the foot, when the dancer is in a "Sur le pointe" position.

Abstract: A shoe with an upper made of resiliently flexible materials, a central rotary closure, an instep cover in an instep area of the upper, at least one tightening element connected to the central rotary closure, and guide elements at side parts of the upper. The at least one tightening element is guided from the instep cover laterally in the form of loops which are guided over a deflecting element of a respective one of the guide elements. The central rotary closure enables the tightening element to be shortened by rotating the central rotary closure to close the shoe and increasing of the free length of the tightening element to open the shoe.

Abstract: An exercise device for strengthening the muscles and ligaments of the feet, legs and lower torso. The device comprises a platform element, front and rear securing straps, a footbed and a tractive sole. The rear securing straps are attached substantially below the upper level of the platform element, helping to preclude inadvertent egress from the device while in use. The front securing straps are for substantially securing the forward portion of the foot to the device. In a preferred embodiment, the exercise device comprises a longitudinal upper strap, a radial lower strap and a mid strap for maintaining the foot securely in the exercise device.

Abstract: The invention is related to alpine ski boot including a rigid shell base overlaid by an upper that has a front portion and a rear portion, the latter being at least partially pivotal with respect to the shell base and including a latching and unlatching device with respect to the shell base, accessible from the exterior of the boot via a control member, the latching position of the latter, corresponding to an initial adjustable reference advance position, from which the upper is capable of an angular clearance along an amplitude predetermined with respect to the shell base.

Abstract: A collapsible snowshoe is constructed of an elongated frame having right and left side bars and front and rear end bars. A web extends between the end bars of the frame. A shoe binding is attached to the frame above the web and between the right and left side bars for pivotal motion along a transverse pivot axis. A resilient member urges relative pivotal motion between the shoe binding and the frame along the transverse pivot axis, causing the front of the frame to be urged upwardly with respect to the shoe binding.

Abstract: The present invention is a shoe with an interchangeable heel. It comprises a latch member mounted to the bottom surface of the heel portion of the outsole of the shoe, and a frame member mounted to the top surface of the heel within a recess thereof. The latch member includes a wedge and a leaf-spring attached to the wedge. The leaf-spring has a stepped detent and a lever biased by a spring tension away from the wedge. The frame member has a wedge shaped slot for receiving the wedge of the latch member in a dove-tail connection, and an internal cavity connected to the wedge shaped slot for housing the leaf-spring of the latch member and having a front crossbar.

Abstract: An article of footwear, such as a soccer boot (1) or training shoe has a sole (5) incorporating a stiffener (8;22,23) . The stiffener comprises a first portion (10;22) which stiffens the waist or shank of the sole and so resists transverse flexure, and a second portion (11;23) which both stiffens the fore-part of the sole and provides resilience to cause or assist in returning the fore-part of the sole to its original shape after it has been subjected, in use, to transverse flexure as the result of flexure of the wearer's foot at the ball of the foot. The stiffness of the second portion is less than the stiffness of the first portion. The stiffening (8) may be formed as a unitary body, with the forward end of the first portion integral with or united with the rear end of the second portion.

Abstract: A shoe insole comprising a layer for holding a shape of the insole and a hygroscopic multi-layer assembly including a ground pulp hygroscopic layer for absorbing humidity in an interior of a shoe in which the insole is used whereby the humidity is converted into water particle and a water absorbing polymer layer for absorbing the water particle.

Abstract: A cassette container case including a casing having rotation-preventing projections formed thereon, a lid having a pocket portion for receiving a magnetic tape cassette pivotally connected to the casing in such a manner that the lid and the casing can be opened and closed like a door, recesses for receiving a thick portion of a magnetic tape cassette being formed in open sides of the lid and casing, and an index card attached to the index card covering the lid except for a region opposed to the recess which receives the thick portion of the cassette. In another embodiment, the index card includes a flap that covers the opening of the cassette through which the tape can be accessed.

Abstract: A shoe for enhancing human physical performance by establishing an electrical conduit between the body and the ground is described. The shoe outsole is formed of a conductive rubber material. A resilient conductive element is integral with the outsole and extends along a portion of the outer surface of the shoe upper, typically being secured to and around at least a portion of the collar of the shoe and further extending over at least a portion of the inside surface of the upper.

Abstract: A sport boot, particularly for performing a gliding sport, produced from an outer sole capable of being fastened at least to one forward part on a gliding member, and including a lower shank connected to a rear heel cap on which a rigid collar is hinged which is designed to surround the lower leg and which extends towards the top of the shank starting from the hinge beyond the upper end thereof, the boot also including an energized arrangement for the angular longitudinal control of the gliding element in the air in respect to the sole of the boot during the phase of advancement of the gliding element, which are disposed between a fixed point of the shank and a movable point of the hinged collar, and which include at least one resilient member constituting an energy source capable of being tensed in the course of a pushing phase on the ski and to relax in the course of the advancement phase, wherein the resilient member which constitutes the energy source is connected with a disengaging arrangement such that

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fluid filled apparatus that reacts with the stimulus of outside forces, furnished at the instep area of a shoe upper and the forefoot area of the shoe sole. The apparatus provides cushioning and a custom fit to the shoe in an area surrounding the forward portion of the shoe wearer's foot. In particular, the present invention pertains to a reactive energy apparatus comprised of anatomically shaped fluid filled bladders or pads that are furnished at the instep area of the shoe upper and the forefoot area of the shoe sole. The bladders engage and assume a complimentary custom fitting configuration around the instep and ball of the shoe wearer's foot by displacement of fluid contained in the bladders, and thereby provide cushioning and a custom fit around the shoe wearer's foot.