Abstract: The invention relates to a shoe (1) with side lacing (2), a lacing or tensioning element (13) being pulled in a zigzag alternatingly through eyelets of two rows (4, 5) of eyelets (4.1, 4.2, 4.3 and 5.1, 5.2, 5.3) opposite one another, of which the first row (4) on the lace side (3) is on or above the sole (6), and the second row (5) likewise on the lace side (3), but opposite the first row (5) at a distance, is on a shield which runs over the instep (9), which shield has a location which can change relative to the instep (9). According to the object both quick closure and also quick loosening of this closure will be attainable. This is achieved in that the shield is a freely movable tension flap (8) which has an essentially stable shape, but which is flexurally elastic, and which on the side opposite the lace side (3), has a single pulling site (8.1 or 8.1.1) via which it is coupled to the shoe (1) with a tension connection (10) which can be locked and which is adjustable in its length (10.1).

Abstract: A cushioning insert (1) to be inserted in the heel zone of a shoe is provided with a honey-comb structure (2) which is improved in such a manner that it provides good cushioning properties and sufficiently supports the heel even if the outsoles or soles (16) of the shoe are relatively thin. To this end, the cushioning insert (1) is made of a structural unit that includes heel shell (3) and a gas-tight honey-comb structure that is provided on the upper side (7.1) or the lower side (10) of the shell bottom (7) of the heel shell (3).

Abstract: A sports shoe, in particular a soccer shoe, with an upper (1) comprising an instep region (8), with a sole (2) connected to the upper and with tension strips (3, 4, 5) for stiffening. The sole is stiffened by a front tension strip (3) connecting the front end (6) of the sole to the upper (1) and by two rear tension strips (4, 5) connecting the heel area (7) of the sole (2) to the upper (1) in such a manner that although it is still possible to bend the sole up completely, it is impossible to bend it down.

Abstract: An outsole for a shoe is formed a thin, flexible, nonporous and inelastic sheet material having a pattern of perforations through it, and a plurality of tread elements of a hard, wear-resistant material molded onto a first side of the sheet material by a process in which the tread forming material is inject through the perforations in a manner such that at least some of the resultant tread elements have anchoring portions extending through the perforations from an opposite second side of the sheet material, a portion of the sheet material around the perforations being held between the tread elements and the anchoring portions. A pattern of treads of various shapes and sizes can be provided in a configuration generally conforming with the sole surface to which the outsole is to be applied, so that a minimum of tread material wastage occurs when the outsole is cut out from the sheet material.

Abstract: A shoe with a central closure attached to an instep cover, to which a wire-like tightening element is coupled and from which the tightening element runs back and forth between guide elements on side parts of the shoe upper and guide elements on the instep cover along the throat area of the shoe, where the guide elements on both sides of the shoe are connected, via a tensioning strip, with at least a pair of instep supporting straps which run over the side parts of the shoe upper from at least an edge area of the sole is improved by combining the instep supporting straps and the tensioning strips into a structural unit for each side of the shoe.

Abstract: A shoe fastener with a rotary actuating element (35) that has a pulley (3) coupled thereto via a self-locking reduction gear which is in the form of an eccentric drive (10, 12). An unwinding gear is pivotally mounted in a housing (1) of the fastener and is formed of a disk (24) having a grooved outer catch rim (26). The unwinding gear can be fixed in any of several angular positions via a catch element (42) which can be released via a tension element (47) which, at the same time, can be used to pull open the shoe by lifting of a tongue or instep cover (55) of the shoe upon which the fastener is mounted.

Abstract: A shoe (1) with a central turn-lock fastener (5) and deflecting elements (9) for the tensioning element (7) is designed in such a way that mounting, and if required dismounting, of the tensioning elements (7) are made substantially easier. For that purpose, the deflecting elements (9) are provided at their front faces (13) with a groove (15) for the tensioning element (7). The groove is deeper than the thickness of the tensioning element (7). A locking member (18) with a rising flank (19) is provided on at least one side (17) of the groove. The highest point (20) of the rising flank (19) is in the vicinity of the opposite side (21) of the groove, so that the remaining gap is smaller than the thickness (23) of the tensioning element (7).

Abstract: A shoe closure, consisting of a rope pulley mounted rotatably in a bearing element to wind up at least one ropelike tightening element to close the shoe, a rotating element to actuate the rope pulley and a reducing gear between rotating element and rope pulley in the form of an eccentric drive, is to be improved so that no nonuniform tightening or pulling movements of the tightening element occur. This is achieved in that rope pulley (3) is designed as an independent unit mounted rotatably concentrically to central axis (9). Eccentric knob (10) is mounted movably parallel to rope pulley (3) and is movable, by eccentric driving pin (12), in a plane parallel to rope pulley (3). Eccentric knob (10) has one or more sector or sectors (16) on a circle (14) concentric to its axis of rotation (13), sector or sectors whose center or centers (15) lies or lie on concentric circle (14) and whose double radius (r.sub.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to improve a central closing device for shoes with a rotationally supported cord disc for at least one cord-type tensioning member for closing the shoe in such a way that the number of rotations of the cord disci is limited without any increasing the space required. This object is achieved by the fact that both the cord disc (3) and a stationary member (1 or 41) each have mutually-cooperating tooth profiles (41a, 42a or 41b, 42b) having the same tooth pitch but of different diameters. Located in the intermediate space (49) created due to the different diameters of the tooth profiles (41a, 42a or 41b, 42b) is an idling pinion (43) of the same pitch, which meshes with the two tooth profiles (41a, 42a or 41b, 42b). At least one stop (46, 46') is provided to limit the travel of the idling pinion (43).

Abstract: A shoe with an upper made of resiliently flexible materials has a central rotary closure on an instep cover in an instep area of the upper, and a tightening element that is connected to the central rotary closure and which is guided from the instep cover laterally in the form of loops at each side of the upper. At each side of the upper, each of the loops is guided over a deflecting element of a respective guide element, so that the central rotary closure is able to shorten the tightening element, by rotating the central rotary closure, to close the shoe and to lengthen the tightening element to open the shoe.

Abstract: A shoe, especially a sport, leisure or rehabilitation shoe, is provided with a central fastener that is attached on a dimensionally stable instep cover that is movable toward or away from the instep and which is configured for use on shoes having an upper formed of a material that is deformable under tensile stresses in at least a throat area. This is basically achieved, in accordance with a preferred embodiment, in that the central fastener (24) is provided with a holding plate (23), which is fastened to a soft elastic tongue (15) and stiffening or tensioning strips are attached to the upper along opposite sides of the throat area, and a rope-like tightening element runs, from the central fastener, along the opposite sides of the throat area, passing back-forth between guide elements on the stiffening or tensioning strips and the guide elements of the instep cover. The holding plate (23) is substantially smaller than the length of the instep (26).

Abstract: A shoe provided with a central closing device, especially a sport, leisure or rehabilitation shoe, with an upper formed of flexible upper materials, and with an instep shield which covers the instep. The instep shield is designed so that it can be fastened to the side parts of the shoe on both sides of the shoe upper, in a manner making is possible to tighten the instep shield and the side parts of the shoe upper over the entire closing area in a simple way and with as uniform a closing or tightening force as possible to guarantee as uniform a pressure distribution as possible along the entire throat area of the shoe. This is achieved by the instep shield being connected, on each side of its end that is directed toward a toe of the upper, to a closing flap made of a springy elastic material, with each closing flap being connected to a respective side part of the upper and running along the length of the instep shield.

Abstract: A shoe consisting of an outsole and an upper, especially a children's shoe, is configured so that in a simple, inexpensive and unobtrusive way, it is possible to regularly accurately monitor or measure the distance of the toe tips of a wearer from a portion of the upper adjacent to the tip of the outsole to see in good time whether the shoe has become too small. This is achieved in that a transparent area (3) is placed within outsole (1) and extends at least over about the front third of the outsole (1). The front part of transparent area (3) serves as a support for calibrated markings (6, 7).

Abstract: A sole for athletic shoes, particularly soccer shoes, made of a lightweight plastic construction having a reinforcement web provided between the ball region and the heel for the attachment of gripping elements is improved so that a greater resistance to twisting, at least in the midfoot section, is achieved without the weight of the sole being increased. This is achieved in that the reinforcement web is positioned to running diagonally from a lateral side of the ball region over sole to the medial side of the heel. Additionally, a diagonal web may be provided running from a medial side of the ball region to the small toe region.

Abstract: In a gripping element for sports shoes consisting of a cleat having a base portion formed on a sole or fastened to it and that is made of stiffly, elastic material with an insert projecting beyond the base portion that is made of a rigid, highly abrasion resistant material. To reduce the danger of destruction of the insert, particularly by shearing forces, the insert is formed so that the ratio of the maximum diameter (D) of the insert (3) relative to its total height (H) is about 1:7.5 to 1:1.8, the insert (3), in its midsection, has a constriction (E) that divides insert (3) into a tread section (4) and a fastening section (5), the height of the constriction (E) is 25% to 60% of the total height (H) and so that the smallest diameter (e) of constriction (E) is 75% to 45% of maximum diameter (D) of the tread section (4), whereby the insert is able to resiliently deflect so as to move sideways with elastic deformation of the base due to radially imposed loads.

Abstract: Footwear having a heel counter comprised of a stiff resilient material, especially an athletic shoe for medium and long distance running, is improved so that a better pressure distribution is assured on the outersole, and also on a possibly existing middle sole, in the area of the heel counter. This is achieved by the fact that the surface area which is enclosed by the sidewalls of the heel counter is provided with a pressure distribution membrane which is connected to a thicker reinforced lower arcuate edge of the sidewalls of the counter, and the pressure distribution membrane is suitably contoured to facilitate the improved distribution of heel pressure to the midsole and outer sole. Downward arching of the distribution membrane under heel pressure applied by the foot of a wearer causes an upper edge area of the sidewalls to be drawn inwardly to hold the heel with greater force.

Abstract: A process and system for measuring information concerning movement factors, and to values, which can be calculated therefrom, particularly stride length, stride number, stride time and running time, via a pair of shoes (1, 2), each of which is provided with a transmitter (S1 or S2), a receiver (E1 or E2), and a signal time measuring device (counter Z1 or Z2). A direct signal (t.sub.dir.) emitted by the front shoe (1) in response to ground contact is received by the rearward shoe (2), is transferred in conformance to time parameters to the first shoe 1 as a reflected signal (refl.). The direct and reflected signals as well as the readouts of both counters (Z1 and Z2) are transmitted to a computer unit, particularly, a high-frequency computer unit for use in determination of the movement information.

Abstract: A system with pressure sensors (5, 12), transmitters (8, 16, 18) and receivers (10, 21) provided in running shoes (2, 3) that upon the shoes (2, 3) leaving or contacting the ground (14) emit and/or receive respective signals (S1, S2, S3, S4). Signals (S1, S2, S4) are formed which are received by a receiver (21) that is independent of the shoes and which are evaluated in an evaluation unit (23). The distance between the feet (FA) is determined from when a front striding foot hits the ground and the rear foot lifts off based upon the timing between the signals using an approximating formula. From the times and the stride length other values movement characteristics of the user may be determined as well.