Abstract: An item of footwear comprises an upper adapted to receive a foot of the wearer. A sole is secured to a bottom surface of the upper. A shell is positioned on a front-end portion of the upper so as to cover the toe region of the upper. The shell has an extension projecting below a junction between the upper and the sole to cover at least the junction in the toe region of the item of footwear.

Abstract: A kit comprising at least one shoe and at least one detachable sole section. An article of footwear comprising a shoe and at least one means for connecting the shoe to at least one detachable sole section. An apparatus comprising at least one detachable sole section.

Abstract: A ball control portion for an article of footwear is disclosed. The ball control portion extends from a side to an underside of an article of footwear. The ball control portion includes a lattice with a plurality of protrusions arranged in a grid. The plurality of protrusions include multiple groups of protrusions arranged with one or more of different orientations, different types of protrusions, and different heights.

Abstract: An article of footwear may have an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure includes a chamber and at least one illuminable element. The chamber is formed from an at least partially transparent polymer material that encloses a fluid, and a portion of an exterior surface of the chamber is exposed to form a portion of an exterior surface of the footwear. The illuminable element is located within the sole structure and adjacent to the exterior surface the chamber. Light from the illuminable element may pass out of the sole structure by passing through the chamber, thereby imparting the configuration of an illuminable fluid-filled chamber.

Abstract: A boot accessory for attachment and wear along an upper portion of a boot for altering and enhancing the overall appearance of the boot includes a clip having a main body, a flexible finger extending from the main body, and first and second side body extensions that define first and second slots along two opposing sides of the main body. A space is formed between the finger and an inner surface of the main body for receiving an upper edge of the boot. The boot accessory also includes a decorative boot band having a first end and an opposing second end. The first end is fixedly attached to the first side body extension by passing through the first slot. An inner surface of the boot band includes at least one fastening element to permit the second end of the boot band to be folded onto itself and be attached to the inner surface of the boot band by first passing through the second slot and then being folded and attached to the inner surface so as to form a continuous circumferential member.

Abstract: A shoe includes a first plate and a second plate that are located in a forefoot portion of the shoe between an upper and an outsole of the shoe, and one or more springs for biasing the first plate and the second plate apart from each other. A device for a shoe includes a first plate and a second plate that are installable in a forefoot portion of the shoe, and an energy return member positioned between the first plate and the second plate. A method of using a shoe includes applying, with a foot, a force on at least one of two plates that is positioned in a forefoot portion of a shoe, so as to move the two plates together and increase a loading of a spring, and launching the foot due to the two plates being moved apart by the spring as the foot is being lifted.

Abstract: A shoe sole and a shoe comprising such a shoe sole are described, with the shoe sole being equipped with integrated anti-slipping elements which are adjustable between an inactive position and an active position by means of a central actuation unit. This arrangement is characterized in that the anti-slipping elements, which in particular have the form of spikes, are respectively supported in individual functional units and are axially adjustable between their active and inactive positions through rotation by the central actuation unit via at least one flexible drive element.

Abstract: A spinning shoe having an upper and sole member in which the sole member has a spinning assembly in the forefoot. The spinning assembly is placed within a recess in the forefoot region of the sole member. Thus, the user may walk about in the spinning shoe in a normal mode or spin about a vertical axis by placing the user's weight on the forefoot region and then spin about on the vertical axis.

Abstract: Footwear is provided having a midsole platform, a full length insole and a orthotic midsole in the form of an orthotic shell received between the midsole platform and the insole. The orthotic shell has a heel portion to support a heel of a foot of a wearer and a forefoot portion to support a forefoot of the wearer at least in a region behind and near metatarsal heads of the foot. The orthotic shell is shaped to partially cup the heel and support the forefoot in one of a plurality of determined orientations. The footwear may further include a plurality of support plugs to support the orthotic shell in one of the determined orientations and a shank coupled to the midsole platform to increase torsional rigidity of the footwear with respect to a longitudinal length thereof. Methods of making footwear are also provided.

Abstract: A deodorizer in particular, a deodorizer substrate with a porous carrier material formed in a monolithic form, and an odor neutralizing composition in the porous carrier material.

Abstract: A composite footwear insole has a front portion (2) designed to interact with the foot at the metatarsal region and at least partly at the plantar arch, and a rear portion (3) designed to interact with the heel. The rear portion (3) has at least one layer (4) of gel material whose size is at least substantially equal to that of the rear portion (3) to uniformly support the heel and absorb stresses acting thereon.

Abstract: An internally illuminated footwear has a light source shining into a translucent component. Boundary sections are created in the translucent component and are arranged to create various visuals, such as designs and logos. The boundary sections are formed by cavities which cut into the translucent component. Abrasive surfaces may be added to the cavities, or replace the cavities and be added to the surface of the translucent component. The cavities may be filled with a boundary material. Bubbles can be formed within the boundary sections and the translucent component. Light waves originate at the light source and travel through the translucent component. Due to different refractive indices, a light wave will be refracted as it encounters cavities in the boundary sections. The refracting light wave will then appear to originate at the cavities. In this manner, the cavities will appear to have their own individual illuminating source.

Abstract: A bonded mesh composite panel of an upper includes a substrate layer formed from a substrate material, a mesh material layer and one or more skin material layers. The mesh composite can be fabricated by first arranging panels of substrate, mesh and skin layer material into an assembly corresponding to the locations of those panels in a completed upper. The assembly may include separate layers of hot melt bonding material interposed between the substrate, mesh and skin layers. The assembly is pressed at an elevated temperature so as to melt the bonding material and the skin layers and bond the elements together. Before the pressed assembly completely cools, it is then pressed a second time in an unheated press. A heat-conductive compressible pad can be used in the pressing process to create a surface effect in the skin layers that reveals a patterns of an underlying mesh layer.

Abstract: Articles of footwear may include self-adjusting studs that adjust to various types of conditions, environmental changes, and applied forces. The self-adjusting studs may have a first portion and a second portion of different levels of compressibilities and/or retractabilities that compress and extend based on the type of surface on which the wearer is walking or running. This footwear with self-adjusting studs may easily transition between surfaces of varying hardness without causing damage to the surface, but also providing the wearer with the necessary amount of traction on each type of surface. Wearers will enjoy the benefit of being able to move on various surfaces without the need to change their footwear multiple times to accommodate the wearer's varying traction needs on different surfaces.

Abstract: Impact-attenuation members include: (a) an impact-attenuating member and (b) a shear resistant member engaged with the impact-attenuating member. Another example impact-attenuation member includes a shear resistant member having a continuous wall that bulges outward on opposing sides when in an uncompressed base orientation. The shear resistant members may be structured and arranged to allow bending or compression against impact forces in one direction (e.g., when landing a step or a jump), but remain highly stable against shear or lateral forces in another direction (e.g., in a side-to-side direction). Such impact-attenuation members may be used in footwear products, including in athletic footwear.

Abstract: A cleat for footwear. The cleat includes a base layer that attaches to the outsole of the footwear, a cushioning layer and a traction element layer. The traction element layer is attached to the base layer solely by the cushioning layer. Each of the cleat layers provides friction with the ground when the cleat engages the ground. The durometer of the base layer and the durometer of the traction element layer are greater than the durometer of the cushioning layer. When a user steps on a surface wearing a shoe outfitted with these cleats, the resilience of the cushioning layer at once both lessens the impact of the traction elements on the ground surface and lessens the reaction force on the user's foot transmitted through the shoe's outsole. The user's comfort is thereby enhanced.

Abstract: A sole structure for an article of footwear is provided and includes an insole and an outsole. The outsole includes a ground-contacting surface and an inner surface formed on an opposite side of the outsole from the ground-contacting surface. The outsole further includes a first elongated aperture extending through the outsole and between the ground-contacting surface and the inner surface. A midsole is disposed between the insole and the outsole and includes a second elongated aperture at least partially aligned with the first elongated aperture. A window is disposed between the midsole and the outsole and extends over the first elongated aperture and the second elongated aperture. A bladder is disposed between the insole and the midsole and is visible through the window.

Abstract: Disclosed is a shoe and an interchangeable shoe cover system. The system includes a shoe having an upper with a bottom surface, a sole having an upper surface. One or more slots are defined between the bottom surface of the upper and the upper surface of the sole. The system also includes a shoe cover having at least one rigidly flexible frame member configured to engage with the one or more slots. The shoe cover also includes a cover material portion securely attached to the frame member and that is configured to be extendible into the upper portion of the shoe to secure the cover, as well as pull it taught or tension it over the outer surface of the shoe.

Abstract: The present invention provides a shoe having a multi-layer, multi-density midsole where the surfaces between midsole layers have one or more convexities and one or more concavities which collectively contribute to simulating the effect, and imparting the fitness benefits, of walking on a sandy beach or on a giving or uneven surface regardless of the actual hardness of the surface.

Abstract: An article of footwear is disclosed that includes an upper and a sole structure secured to the upper. The sole structure incorporates a support element that includes a fluid-filled chamber, a first insert, and a second insert. The chamber defines a first surface, an opposite second surface, and a sidewall extending between the first surface and the second surface. The first insert is secured to the first surface and at least partially recessed into the polymer material of the chamber, and the second insert is secured to the second surface. In addition, the chamber may be pressurized to deform the first insert or the second insert.