Abstract: A skate boot for ice skate or in-line roller skate comprising an upper having portions thereof made of compressed foam material. In a preferred embodiment, the skate boot is constructed with two preformed quarter panels made of compressed foam material having wherein the inner surface of each panel is shaped to substantially conform to the anatomical shape of a corresponding side of the human foot. Such a construction provides a skate boot, which is comfortable, long lasting, and exhibits flexibility and support. Such a construction also provides added flexibility to the skate designers to vary the dynamic properties of the skate and also the ornamental features of the skate. A method of making such a skate boot is also disclosed.

Abstract: A footbed for sport footwear made of a shell, which defines the general shape of the footwear. The footbed has a sole portion and a padding wall for partially separating the sides and back of a wearer's foot from the shell. The padding wall partially cups the wearer's heel and extending from the back of the wearer's foot along each side of the heel, along each side of the midfoot and along each side of the forefoot. The footbed is adapted for determining the size of the footwear in terms of width. The footbed may further comprise a toe wall portion for determining the size of the footwear in terms of length.

Abstract: The invention provides an adjustable leg pad assembly comprising a knee shield, a shin shield, a liner, a shield extension, an adjustable liner, and fasteners for joining the adjustable liner and the liner. The liner is fixedly connected to both the knee shield and the shin shield while the shield extension is adjustably mounted on an interior portion of the shin shield and extends from a lower portion of the latter. The adjustable liner, which is adapted to be releasably mounted to the liner, includes connection means to enable its coupling to the shield extension. Moreover, the fasteners are capable of varying the positioning of the liner and the adjustable liner relative to one another.

Abstract: A skate boot featuring an exterior toe protector and a method of manufacture. The skate boot is provided with a toe cover adapted to be pulled and stretched over a last allowing the skate boot to be formed in a similar fashion as a skate boot featuring an interior toe protector. The toe protector has a pair of lateral extensions which overlap the frontal edges of the lateral supporting portions of the skate boot and a pair of cutout areas to surround the same lateral supporting portions of the skate boot.

Abstract: The invention provides hockey pants comprising a main body, a fixed belt, and a floating belt. More specifically, the main body includes a pelvic area portion, a right thigh area portion, and a left thigh area portion. The fixed belt, which is integrally connected to the main body, comprises a plurality of padding elements that are selectively positioned and that act to protect the user's midsection. The selectively positioned padding elements include an adjustable dorsal protector adapted to extend over and protect the lower spine region of the wearer. Moreover, the fixed belt also includes an adjusting component capable of modifying the positioning of the dorsal protector relative to the back of the wearer's body. Overlying the fixed belt is the floating belt which, due to its flexible coupling with the main body, allows access to the adjusting component.

Abstract: A speed lacing device for an article of footwear having a rigid portion comprising a curved neck and a fastening tail that together define an almost-friction-free sliding surface for a lacing cord, the lacing cord being in contact with the sliding surface in either a state of tension or a state of relaxation. The speed lacing device also having a flexible portion that extends from the rigid portion to form an upper half of a closed loop through which the lacing cord is threaded.

Abstract: A skate boot is disclosed which comprises a foot element adapted to be mounted to a ground engaging skating implement and for receiving at least partially the foot of a skater, and an articulated cuff for encircling and supporting the ankle of a skater. The articulated cuff is partially inserted in the foot element and slidably coupled to the foot element to permit unrestrained limited pivotal motion of the articulated cuff relative to an axis coinciding approximately with the pivot axis of the skater's ankle.

Abstract: A protective sporting glove featuring a hand receiving portion and a cuff portion cooperating to protect the entire hand of the wearer, the wrist, the thumb and the four fingers; the hand receiving portion includes finger sheath means for receiving and enclosing the four fingers of a hand placed in the glove; each of the finger sheath means comprises an elongated protective padding element extending along the dorsal side of the finger sheath means. The hand receiving portion further including a thumb receiving portion enclosing the thumb from an area proximate the base of the thumb to the tip of the thumb and comprising a rigid thumb shell covering the dorsal side of the thumb receiving portion.

Abstract: An in-line roller skate. The skate is made of a boot having a front portion, a rear portion, and a truck chassis for supporting a plurality of rotatably mounted in-line wheels. The wheels define the rolling plane of the in-line roller skate. The truck chassis is pivotally connected to the rear portion of the boot by a pivot-like member and is connected to the front of the boot by a translating connection member. The translating connection member allows a sliding movement of the boot with relation to the chassis along a given length in a direction substantially normal with relation to the rolling plane. The in-line skate further comprises a resilient member located between the front portion of the chassis and the front portion of the boot for absorbing vibrations in the in-line roller skate.

Abstract: A skate boot featuring an exterior toe protector and a method of manufacture. The skate boot is provided with a toe cover adapted to be pulled and stretched over a last allowing the skate boot to be formed in a similar fashion as a skate boot featuring an interior toe protector. The toe protector has a pair of lateral extensions which overlap the frontal edges of the lateral supporting portions of the skate boot and a pair of cutout areas to surround the same lateral supporting portions of the skate boot.

Abstract: A footwear is disclosed which comprises a molded shell for supporting and at least partially enclosing a wearer's foot. The shell has an inner side, an outer side, a sole portion covering the bottom area of the wearer's foot, lateral and medial quarters projecting upwardly from each side of the sole portion and a heel counter surrounding the back of the wearer's foot and linking the lateral and medial quarters together. An outer skin like covering is affixed to the outer side of the shell and a frontal toe portion substantially covers the toe area of the wearer. A tongue covers the upper frontal area of the footwear; and finally a ground engaging supporting element is mounted to the bottom of the shell. More specifically, an ice skate boot and an in-line roller skate are disclosed having shell and an outer skin.