Abstract: The invention provides a shoe, comprising: a sole portion, and an upper portion, wherein the sole portion and upper portion together form a plurality of compartments, wherein each compartment is configured to receive one or more toes of a foot of a user, and wherein one of the compartments is configured to receive at least both the fourth and fifth toes of the foot of the user.

Abstract: A sole assembly including a midsole made of resilient cushion material and having an upper support surface configured to support a plantar region of a human foot, a lower surface and a sidewall connecting the upper and lower surfaces. An outsole is provided on the lower surface and configured to provide traction with a ground surface. Further, at least one sidewall hole provided in the sidewall and configured to provide ventilation to the foot, wherein the at least one sidewall hole is provided at a predetermined position in the sidewall in order to accommodate a characteristic of the foot.

Abstract: A shoe (1), in particular a sports shoe, comprising a vamp (2) and a sole (3), said vamp (2) presenting side portions (4, 5), a front portion (7), a rear portion (6) and a portion (8) arranged to lie on the front part of the foot of a user wearing the shoe (1), the sole (3) presenting a metatarsal front portion (10), an arched central portion (11), and a rear heel portion (12). At least one among said vamp (2) and said sole (3) presents a part comprising a very hard ceramic material able to confer on said part a high wear resistance and hence a long life. This material is ceramic.

Abstract: An adjustable arch support assembly having a position fixing member configured to be fixed to a shoe insole, the position fixing member having a plurality of retaining features positioned at different locations along the position fixing member. Also included is a movable arch support having a main body configured to support an arch region of a foot, and a coupling member provided on the main body and configured to couple the main body to the position fixing member. The coupling member has at least one engagement feature configured to engage different ones of the retaining features such that the movable arch support is fixed in different positions relative to the position fixing member based on the retaining feature engaged by the engagement feature.

Abstract: A sole assembly including a unitary midsole having an upper support surface configured to support a plantar region of a human foot, and a substantially contiguous lower surface extending from a heel portion of the sole assembly to a toe portion of the sole assembly. A semi-rigid heel cradle is coupled to the upper support surface and configured to cradle and support a heel region of the foot from beneath the foot and to support a plurality of sides of the foot when the foot is rested in a heel area of the sole assembly. Further, an outsole is provided on the substantially contiguous lower surface and configured to provide traction with a ground surface.

Abstract: A sole assembly including a midsole made of resilient cushion material and having an upper support surface configured to support a plantar region of a human foot, a lower surface and a sidewall connecting the upper and lower surfaces. An outsole is provided on the lower surface and configured to provide traction with a ground surface. Further, at least one sidewall hole provided in the sidewall and configured to provide ventilation to the foot, wherein the at least one sidewall hole is provided at a predetermined position in the sidewall in order to accommodate a characteristic of the foot.

Abstract: A sole assembly which includes a heel cradle configured to cradle a heel of a human foot when the human foot is rested within the heel cradle, a rigid upper plate including a first part connected to the heel cradle and a second part located farther from the heel cradle than is the first part, a lower plate including a first part of which is connected to the first part of the upper plate and including a second part which is connected to the second part of the upper plate, an oblong gap located between the upper plate and lower plate and between the first and second parts of the upper and lower plates. A sole assembly including an upper plate and a lower plate stiffer than the upper plate and attached to the upper plate so as to form an oblong gap. Also, a shoe including the sole assembly.

Abstract: A system for providing a shoe customized to a person includes a plurality of shoe cavity units each having an upper portion and a sole assembly coupled to the upper portion to form a shoe cavity configured to accommodate a foot. Also included is a plurality of interchangeable first shoe components each configured to be coupled to a shoe cavity unit and each configured to provide substantially the same first footwear function but having a different physical attribute based on differences among wearers, and a plurality of interchangeable second shoe components each configured to be coupled to a shoe cavity unit and each configured to provide substantially the same second footwear function but having a different physical attribute based on differences among wearers.

Abstract: A method, system, and computer program product used for creating a custom footwear product. The method on which the system, and computer program product are based includes inputting in a retail store information about a characteristic of a consumer that relates to the consumer's foot, and receiving in the retail store a determination of a plurality of selected pre fabricated footwear components that have been selected based the information. Also included in the method is creating in the retail store a kit of prefabricated footwear components for the customer including the identified prefabricated footwear components to be assembled into the custom footwear product.

Abstract: A method for providing a custom shoe to a consumer, including identifying at least one characteristic about a consumer that is present within the retail store, the at least one characteristic relating to the consumer's foot. Also included is selecting a plurality of pre-fabricated footwear components based on the at least one characteristic, assembling the plurality of prefabricated footwear components into a custom shoe that is customized to the consumer, and presenting the custom shoe to the consumer before the customer leaves the retail store.

Abstract: An adaptable shoe includes an upper portion and a sole assembly connected to the upper portion to provide a shoe cavity. The sole assembly includes a first sole segment, a second sole segment positioned adjacent to and substantially coplanar with the first sole segment, and a deformable member connecting the first sole segment to the second sole segment to provide a substantially planar sole assembly that can be expanded in a width direction in order to adapt the size of the shoe in a width direction.

Abstract: A housing including a sleeve portion having an interior bend configured to receive a knuckle on a wearer's finger such that the housing can be securely mounted on the wearer's finger. The housing also includes a cavity configured to receive an electronics module therein, and a control access configured to align with controls of the electronics module such that the wearer can operate the electronics module when contained in the recess. The housing may include an electronics module such a watch or medical monitoring device.

Abstract: An electronic device including a case, and electronics module and an input mechanism. The electronics module is contained by the case and includes at least a processor and a memory configured to store a plurality of available mode settings for the electronic device. The input mechanism is configured to provide input commands to the processor which is configured to, based on the input comments, configure the electronic device to provide a custom mode setting for a subset of the plurality of available modes.