Abstract: A circular knitting machine (1) for knitwear or hosiery, comprising a bearing structure, needle cylinder (C), a plurality of needles, and a dial group. The dial group comprises a support ring (4), a hook plate (5), and a thread feeding and cutting organ. The knitting machine comprises rotation transmission means (10) comprising: a drive pulley (11), a hook plate shaft (12), a flange (13) and an engaging mechanism (20) which operates between an engaged configuration, in which it constrains the pulley and the flange to one another, and a disengaged configuration, in which the flange is free from constraints.

Abstract: A protective, wearable carriage device and method is provided such that the device conforms more substantially to the user's body, facilitates heat dissipation and facilitates modular attachment of different shapes and configurations of armor. In one embodiment of the present invention, a substantially rigid outer frame is provided with an outer surface material and an inner surface mesh material, and the outer frame is secured to an inner frame comprising a cloth netting such that the inner frame and outer frame create a gap between the inner frame and the spacer mesh material. In one embodiment of the present invention, one or more bowing stiffeners are secured to the outer frame so as to facilitate the desirable features of the present invention.

Abstract: The invention relates to devices and methods for designing and manufacturing customized footwear, and components thereof. An exemplary method includes a method of designing at least a portion of a sole of an article of footwear customized for a user. The method includes the steps of determining at least one input parameter related to a user, analyzing the at least one input parameter to determine at least one performance metric of a foot of the user, and determining at least one customized structural characteristic of at least a portion of a sole of an article of footwear for the user based on the performance metric.

Abstract: Uppers for articles of footwear (or foot-covering members for other foot-receiving devices) include: (a) an upper member including medial and lateral side portions, each side portion including at least one pair of slots spaced in a top-to-bottom direction and (b) a first strap portion that extends between and through each of the medial slots and the lateral slots such that the first strap portion is exposed between the pair of medial slots and between the pair of lateral slots and such that the first strap portion extends across the instep opening. One, two, or more other “strap portions” may be provided, e.g., that extend between additional pairs of medial and lateral slots and across the instep opening. A shoe lace may be provided to extend through and between areas defined by the strap portions and the pairs of medial and lateral slots.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a jacket/coat designed to provide an enhanced range of motion. This is accomplished by having a layered construction comprising different fabric/textile materials where the enhanced range of motion is desired. The jacket/coat in accordance with the present invention particularly provides an enhanced range of motion for a wearer around the shoulders and arms. This enhanced range of motion may be especially beneficial when the wearer is engaged in a physically demanding activity or any activity benefitting from a wide range of movement by the wearer's arms and shoulders.

Abstract: Shoes and/or shoe elements facilitate natural foot motion and/or reduce forces tending to fight natural foot motion. In at least some such structures, a wearer's heel is secured to the hindfoot region of a shoe (e.g., by a strap system) in a manner that permits heel/forefoot rotation and that allows the lower leg to remain straight. In other structures, a shoe can include a heel supporting component that is separate from a midsole component, and this heel supporting component can move toward the lateral side and/or medial side of the shoe along an interface between the heel supporting component and the midsole component. Other suitable shoe and shoe component structures also are described.

Abstract: A protective foot covering device keeps a wearer's foot dry, particularly while showering. The device includes a boot having an upper end, a lower end and a perimeter wall coupled to and extending between the upper and lower ends. The upper end includes a peripheral edge defining an access opening into a hollow interior of the boot. The boot further includes a shaft and a vamp. The shaft is coupled to and extends downwardly from the peripheral edge. The vamp is coupled to and extends forwardly from the shaft toward a toe of the boot. The boot has a slit extending therein defining first and second overlapping sections extending through the shaft downwardly from the upper end. A sole is coupled to and covers the lower end. A coupler is attached to the boot and removably couples the first and second overlapping sections together to close the slit.

Abstract: An article of footwear may include an upper having a knitted component formed of unitary knit construction. The knitted component includes a collar portion and a throat portion. The collar portion has a cylindrical configuration and the throat portion extends outward from the collar portion. In some configurations, the collar portion and the throat portion form (a) a first area of an exterior surface of the upper and (b) a first area of an interior surface of the upper. The upper may also include a cover component secured to the knitted component and forming (a) a second area of the exterior surface of the upper and (b) a second area of the interior surface of the upper.

Abstract: A shoe sole including: an outsole 1 and a mid sole 2, wherein: the outsole 1 includes: a plurality of cleats C1 arranged while being spaced apart from one another in a first direction D1; and a plurality of cleats C1 arranged while being spaced apart from one another in a second direction D2; ones of the cleats C1 that are adjacent to each other in a third direction D3 are continuous with each other in the third direction D3 via a first connecting portion 12 of the outsole; ones of the cleats C1 that are adjacent to each other in a fourth direction D4 are continuous with each other in the fourth direction D4 via a second connecting portion 13 of the outsole; a plurality of through holes H are provided, each through hole H being defined in an area surrounded by three or more of the cleats C1; and the lower surface 20 of the mid sole 2 includes: an attachment surface 22 attached to the upper surface 11 of the outsole 1, and an exposed surface 23 of the foamed material exposed through the through holes H.

Abstract: Provided is a shoe that includes a sole that: (i) has a bottom surface that is adjacent to the ground in normal use, and (ii) is comprised of both a base material forming a main structure and individual leather particles attached to the base material on the bottom surface of the sole. The individual leather particles may have a median size within a range of 0.3 to 4.0 millimeters (mm). In addition, or instead, individual second particles made of a material other than leather also are attached to the base material on the bottom surface of the sole.

Abstract: A system and method for customizing footwear with interchangeable straps and soles is provided. In one embodiment, an article of footwear includes an upper assembly with at least one fastener. The fastener of the upper assembly can be inserted into a lower assembly and magnetically attracted to a fastener of the lower assembly so as to removably attach the upper assembly to the lower assembly. The removable attachment of the upper assembly to the lower assembly allows for interchangeability with other lower assemblies and upper assemblies, allowing the article of footwear to be quickly customized to several different styles and/or colors of footwear for different occasions.

Abstract: An article of footwear and method of making an article of footwear are disclosed. The article includes an outsole having an outsole member. The outsole member includes a first piece and a second piece. The first piece is spaced from a base by a first vertical distance. The second piece is spaced from the base by a second vertical distance, the first vertical distance being greater than the second vertical distance.

Abstract: Soles for a shoe have a midsole with a base body and a plurality of deformation elements, and an outsole with a first outsole region and a plurality of first outsole elements. Pressure load on one first outsole element of the plurality of first outsole elements leads to a deformation of at least one of the plurality of deformation elements which are associated with the one first outsole element of the plurality of first outsole elements.

Abstract: An interchangeable cleat system for an article of footwear includes an outer sole member with a plurality of fixed cleat members and a plurality of removable cleat members. The spacing between the removable cleat members and the fixed cleat members may be approximately constant in at least one portion of the article of footwear. The differences in height between the removable cleat members and the fixed cleat members may be approximately constant within a portion of the outer sole member. The cleat system can include at least three sets of cleat members that can be interchanged over different portions of the outer sole member.

Abstract: An undergarment wherein the back side comprises a pad disposed in the left side and a pad disposed in the right side and methods of improving comfort while sitting or to relieving, reducing, minimizing or eliminating discomfort or pain from sitting in men with prostate conditions by wearing or providing the undergarment.

Abstract: An article of footwear may include an upper configured to receive a foot of a wearer and a sole structure fixedly attached to the upper, the sole structure including a ground-contacting outer member and a removable midsole. The footwear may further include a motorized tensioning system including a power source, a control unit, a tensile member, and a motorized tightening device, the motorized tightening device being attached to an outer surface of the upper, and the tightening device being configured to apply tension in the tensile member to adjust the size of an internal void defined by the article of footwear. In addition, the power source and the control unit of the tensioning system may be configured to be removably disposed in the removable midsole.

Abstract: A shoe has an air pump device for blowing air into the interior of a shoe comprising a bellows formed in the sole structure and surrounding a cavity, an intake channel for transporting air from an intake opening into the bellows, an air supply device formed in the sole structure for forwarding air from the bellows into the interior of the shoe, and a V-shaped or U-shaped spring element which clasps the bellows. An upper leg of the spring element comprises an upper pressure plate arranged above the bellows and below an insole of the sole structure, and a lower leg comprises a lower pressure plate arranged under the bellows and above an outsole layer, so that a connecting section that connects the two legs is arranged beside the bellows in the sole structure.

Abstract: An outsole for an orthopedic device includes a heel part, a forefoot part, and a mid-foot part separating the heel part from the forefoot part. A longitudinal axis extends in a longitudinal direction between an anterior end of the forefoot part and a posterior end of the heel part. A transverse axis intersects the longitudinal axis and extends in a transverse direction between a lateral edge of the outsole and a medial edge of the outsole. A bottom surface extends along the longitudinal axis and between the medial and lateral edges. The bottom surface defines an apex at the intersection of the longitudinal and transverse axes and at least one apical line passing through the apex and subtending an oblique angle to the longitudinal axis. The bottom surface curves through the apex and along the at least one apical line in both the longitudinal and transverse directions.

Abstract: A body worn hosiery/shaper uplifts the rear buttocks in an expandable thin material region, by virtue of respective left and right flank members, which cause the uplifting of the rear buttocks region. The flank members are supported from above by an annular upper waist knitted in welt, that extends circumferentially around the upper rib area. Upper thigh ring cuff portions also help with the uplifting of rear buttocks region from below while the high waisted control top control stomach and back side bulge. The body worn hosiery/shaper also optionally provides sheer leg portions that end just before the toes leaving the toe portion open. An extra wide open crotch double gusset is also provided allowing the user to utilize the restroom when nature calls.

Abstract: An athletic shoe including a moveably attached cleat is intended to displace relative to the sole on the shoe in certain situations. This allows the cleat to more easily disengage the turf than a convention fixed cleat. The moveably attached cleat allows the shoe to disengage from the turf when the wearer is subjected to side impact forces, thus reducing the likelihood of traumatic knee injuries for the wearer. However, when the wearer is running forward, there is a reaction force on the cleat from the turf, acting in the forward direction which does not cause the cleat to displace to the retracted position and it can remain in the extended position.