Abstract: An athletic shoe configured to efficiently attenuate dorsal, anterior, posterior, lateral, medial and plantar loading forces. The shoe toebox or forefoot upper includes a cutout region through what is generally inelastic outer shoe material, across which a panel of increased stretchability extends in juxtaposition with a key shoe-foot impact or pressure engagement area. The stretchable panel forms with the cutout a porous damping ventilating passageway into which a portion of the foot can enter and pass externally of an at-rest outer peripheral surface of the shoe material surrounding the cutout. Key shoe-foot impact or pressure areas include impact areas engaged by toes of a foot sliding forward within the shoe, and pressure areas engaged by bunions and bunionettes moving outward against the sides of the shoe. Upon removal of pressure by the moving foot portion, the stretchable panel retracts, and restores the cutout region back toward its initial configuration.

Abstract: An athletic shoe configured to efficiently attenuate plantar loading forces is disclosed. The shoe toebox includes a region of increased stretchability aligned to intercept a big toe of a foot abruptly moving forward within the shoe. The increased stretchability region defines a damping passageway through the toebox material through which a front portion of the big toe can pass externally of an at rest outer peripheral surface of the toebox. The region of increased stretchability may include a cutout portion through the toebox with an associated elastic layer or web that stretches to open a passageway for the big toe into and through the cutout portion. The elastic layer can comprise porous material for ventilating the toebox while keeping foreign matter out, and urges refraction of material forming the cutout portion back toward its initial configuration upon retraction of the big toe from the passageway.