Abstract: Sports footwear with a vamp, and a lower support part including a sole unit, the lower support part having a lower portion or treading sole for contacting the ground and an intersole overlying the treading sole, wherein within said support part there is present at least a first insert containing elements which deform elastically when subjected to pressure and which are enclosed within an air-containing sealed casing positioned corresponding with the heel region of the sole unit. A further insert is positioned corresponding with the metatarsal region of the foot and also includes a casing containing elements deformable when subjected to pressure. The deformable elements positioned in the insert corresponding with the heel region have a different response to pressure-stressing than the elements present in the insert corresponding with the metatarsal region of the foot.

Abstract: Footwear, in particular sports footwear, which includes a vamp associated with a substantially flat foot-supporting lower part or sole unit. This latter includes at least one portion formed of woven composite material having a part positioned in correspondence with the metatarsal region of the user's foot and a part positioned corresponding with the arch region of the user's foot, wherein the part of the portion present in the metatarsal region is flexible and enables the sole unit to flex during the use of the footwear and wherein part of the portion present in the plantar arch region is rigid.

Abstract: Improved sports footwear which includes an insert positioned at least in the heel region of a shoe, the insert including an elastically deformable cellular structure arranged within an elastically deformable air-impermeable casing provided with inner projections on opposing faces. The casing is pneumatically connected to controllable mechanism, rigid with the footwear, for varying the air pressure within the casing so as to modify the elastic characteristics of the insert. Each projection on one face thereof is connected to a face portion of an opposing projection.