Abstract: A shoe sole includes a body portion and a heel holding portion. The heel holding portion is located opposite to a ground contact surface of the body portion and holds a heel portion of a foot at least from a medial foot side. The body portion includes a low hardness portion and a high hardness portion. The high hardness portion is a foam material harder than a foam material of the low hardness portion. The heel holding portion is a resin harder than the foam material of the low hardness portion and the foam material of the high hardness portion. On the medial foot side in a rear foot portion, the low hardness portion is located between the heel holding portion and the high hardness portion in an up-down direction.

Abstract: A shoe or other footwear has a non-removable multi-layer insole. A middle layer of the insole has apertures that define several discrete storage chambers within the insole. Each storage chamber stores a mixture of particulate or granular materials, such as sand, powdered titanium, powdered aluminum, powdered talcum, powdered zinc. The insole or footwear further includes integrated components such as: electromyogram (EMG) sensors, temperature sensors, pressure sensors, humidity sensors, sweat sensors. The insole or footwear further includes integrated stimulating units, such as: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) units, electrodes, infrared radiation units. Data is sensed by the sensors integrated in the insole or footwear, in response to a human foot stepping on the discrete storage chambers that store the particulate or granular materials, and optionally in response to stimulation operations.

Abstract: An upper for a shoe includes a woven element comprising at least one single-layer portion and at least one multi-layer portion, wherein the single-layer portion is formed from a single woven layer and the multi-layer portion is formed from at least two overlapping woven layers, wherein the at least one single-layer portion is adjacent to the at least one multi-layer portion, and wherein the multi-layer portion comprises at least one protrusion of the woven element.

Abstract: A shoe-opening spring includes a base with a medial edge and a lateral edge, a medial spring protruding upwardly from the medial edge of the base, and a lateral edge protruding upwardly from the lateral edge of the base. When the shoe-opening spring is present within a shoe and in a relaxed arrangement, the medial spring and the lateral spring may respectively exert medially and laterally outward forces against respective medial and lateral sides of the shoe. When the medial and lateral sides of the upper of the shoe are pulled together, for example, with a closure of the shoe, the shoe-opening spring may be placed in a tensed arrangement, in which state the shoe-opening spring may remain until the closure is released.

Abstract: A laminar velour knitted fabric is disclosed, which has an top side and a bottom side, the top side including a pile and the bottom side including a knitted fabric of at least one pile material and a base material. The at least one pile material in the knitted fabric is formed as at least one pile yarn and the base material in the knitted fabric is formed as at least one base yarn. Further, the pile includes the at least one pile material. The at least one pile material of the pile has individual fibrils with a fineness of at most 2 dtex per fibril.

Abstract: The invention relates to a knitting needle, in particular for producing knitwear with cable patterns, having at least one rigid needle tip and a shank on which the knitwear can be arranged at least regionally. The invention now proposes that the shank consist at least regionally of a material that is reversibly plastically deformable by bending in very different directions, wherein the transition between the shank and needle tip is flush and smooth. Furthermore, the invention proposes a method for producing such a knitting needle.

Abstract: The three-dimensional knitted material includes knitted layers that are connected to one another to form a three-dimensional product. Each wale or course in a layer is formed by using an end of a thread that is a continuation of a loop of the preceding course or wale or layer to create at least two loops of the current course or wale in different planes. The loops of the current course or wale are run through at least one loop of a neighboring wale or course or layer of the knitted material. The structural regularity of a knitted material is increased, making it possible to create three-dimensional products having a complex shape, inter alia, having internal cavities, and increasing the filtration properties of the material.

Abstract: A shoe upper for a shoe, in particular a sports shoe, is provided having a first portion and a second portion that are jointly manufactured as a knitted fabric, wherein only one of the first portion and the second portion the knitted fabric is reinforced by a coating of a polymer material applied to the shoe upper.

Abstract: A sole structure includes a first cushioning element having a first top side and a bottom side formed on an opposite side from the first top side and defining a receptacle. The sole structure further includes a second cushioning element attached to the first cushioning element and having a second top side flush with the first top side of the first cushioning element. An upper plate is disposed within the receptacle and including a first end attached to the first cushioning element and a second end attached to the second cushioning element. A lower plate spaced is apart from the upper plate and includes a third end attached to the first cushioning element and a fourth end attached to the second cushioning element. A cushioning arrangement is disposed within the receptacle of the first cushioning element and attached to each of the upper plate and the lower plate.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes a strap system having a medial strap, a lateral strap, and a heel strap. The medial strap extends from a proximal end to a distal end selectively attachable to the upper at the lateral side. The lateral strap extends from a proximal end to a distal end selectively attachable to the upper at the medial side. The heel strap has a proximal portion fixed at the heel region and a distal portion selectively attachable to the upper by a heel strap fastener. The strap fastener is operable to attach one of the distal end of the medial strap and the distal end of the lateral strap to the heel strap.

Abstract: A knitted component may include a first portion, where the first portion at least partially forms an underfoot area of an article of footwear. A second portion may be included, where the second portion at least partially forms an outer surface of a medial or a lateral side of an article of footwear. A forward portion may extend from an end of the first portion and may include a toebox area in a toe region of the knitted component. A knitted connection structure may be located between the toebox area of the forward portion and the second portion, where the second portion includes a first course, where the toebox area of the second portion includes a second course, and where the first course is secured to the second course through the knitted connection structure.

Abstract: An uncoupled anterior cranial shield is disclosed including a yoke configured to attach to support garment or integrated with the support garment and a suspended mask attached to the yoke and extending from the yoke so as to be disposed at least partially covering a face of an individual wearing the support garment. The suspended mask is free of force communicating persistent connection to a head of the wearer other than indirectly through the shoulder pads.

Abstract: An improved binding for footwear traction devices, snowshoes and other footwear accessories that provides adjustable lateral supports and generally even platform or foot bed. Furthermore, an improved traction device with removable rear traction component to allow for use with detachable snowshoe platform.

Abstract: An outsole for an article of footwear includes a plantar surface and a peripheral surface surrounding the plantar surface. The outsole for an article of footwear also includes an annular cleat set including a first plurality of traction elements arranged in series about a central axis on the plantar surface. The outsole for an article of footwear further includes one or more radial cleat sets each including a second plurality of the traction elements aligned along a respective radial axis intersecting the central axis. At least one of the second plurality of the traction elements includes a peripheral cleat formed on the peripheral surface.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper defining a throat configured to receive a foot. The article of footwear also includes a sole structure coupled to the upper. The article of footwear further includes a panel having a first side coupled to the upper for movement between an open position and a closed position. The panel exposes a portion of the throat in the open position and covers the portion of the throat in the closed position. The article of footwear also includes a strap having a first end and a second end opposite the first end. The first end and the second end are disposed on a first side of the upper with a body portion of the strap disposed between the first end and the second end surrounding the upper.

Abstract: An insole for offloading injuries on an area of a plantar surface of a patient's foot includes a body having a shape corresponding to the plantar surface of the patient's foot including a top surface and a bottom surface; and at least one supportive, deformable, deflatable bubble chamber. The at least one bubble chamber extends from the top surface of the body. The at least one bubble chamber is configured to be deflated to relieve pressure on the plantar surface of the patient's foot. A kit including the insole and an article of footwear including a sole, an upper connected about a periphery of the sole defining an interior of the article of footwear, and the insole positioned in the interior of the article, are also provided.

Abstract: A bowling shoe sole fastening system of structures that allows a variety of outsoles to be attached to and detached from the midsole that improve the consistency of the flex of the show throughout a bowler's stride, which allow the bowling shoe to be adjusted to achieve consistent stopping and sliding characteristics over a variety of bowling lane conditions and maintain consistent performance in the flex of the shoe across cycles of attachment, detachment, and reattachment.

Abstract: Disclosed are a vamp construction and a method of vamp construction utilizing multiple layers in a multi-part vamp. This construction provides increased flexibility and comfort, more efficient material utilization, and aesthetic appeal. More specifically, the vamp includes a layer of vamp material, a layer of fabric, and a layer of elastic material.

Abstract: A shoe may include a sole and an upper. The upper may have a medial side and a lateral side that each have an edge positioned on opposing side of the shoe's tongue. The upper's medial side and/or the upper's lateral side may include stiffened regions and flexible regions with each stiffened region being disposed between two flexible regions so that the stiffened regions are moveable relative to one another upon tensioning of the medial and lateral sides of the upper. The opposing edges of the upper's medial and lateral sides may be substantially linear or straight prior to tensioning of the upper's medial and lateral sides and may be substantially uneven or nonlinear subsequent to tensioning of the upper's medial and lateral sides due to relative movement of the stiffened regions.

Abstract: A tubular compression item having at least one leg part, one foot tip, one heel, one foot and one ribbed edge in the extension of the leg part delimiting an opening for introducing a foot into the item, is provided. The leg part has a height extending from the foot part up to the ribbed edge, and the leg part, the foot and the ribbed edge of the tubular compression item each comprise at least one knitting yarn. An elastic weft yarn is inserted between the stitches on the outer face and the stitches on the inner face of the leg part. The elastic weft yarn is inserted on at least 90% of the columns of stitches without forming any tuck stitch or loop stitch. The elastic weft yarn is maintained between two consecutive rows of stitches in the leg part. The foot tip and the heel each comprise at least one knitting yarn.