Abstract: A sport shoe or athletic footwear for bicyclists is disclosed which possesses at its contact or tread region coming into contact with the pedal of the bicycle an arcuate-shaped curvature upon which there is adjustably mounted a guide plate. This guide plate positions the shoe at the bicycle pedal and at the same time reinforces the shoe sole.

Abstract: An automatic system for forming custom-made shoe inserts for a person's feet from a pair of blanks is provided with a foot impression mechanism including a pair of pin arrays for simultaneously forming an impression of the contour of the undersurface of each of the person's feet and for releasably retaining each impression formed. Each of the pin arrays is arranged in orthogonal rows and columns with adjoining pins in each column having asymmetric contacting surfaces.

Abstract: A shoe such as a running shoe is disclosed which fits comfortably on the foot of the wearer during most times and which includes a sensor such as a bar movably attached to the shoe for increasing the tightness of the fit when the foot is moved relative to the lower leg in a plurality of directions from a normal position to positions relative in which greater forces are expected to be exerted by the user. Typically, the increase in forces is achieved by placing a movable insert in the shoe which is connected with the sensor via a cable. In a simplified form, the sensor is constructed so as to tighten a portion of the shoe against the foot to increase tightness of the fit.

Abstract: A football boot is provided on its upper portion with strips of leather or like material which extend transversely over the instep of the boot thereby to enhance the frictional contact with a ball to be controlled with the foot. The strips are connected to the boot in such a way that at least the forward edges of the strips can lift away from the upper portion of the boot.

Abstract: A ski boot consisting of a shell to receive the foot and of a rear collar hinging on the shell to snugly fit against the leg, the shell comprising on its rear side a raised molding pointing outward for the purpose of limiting the displacement of the collar on the shell, characterized in thatthe collar at its lower part comprises a raised molding parallel to the raised molding on the shell but pointing into the boot and capable of resting on said molding on the shell, andthe shell comprises at its rear part a compressible element capable of resting on and cooperating with said raised molding of the collar when said collar moves on the shell.

Abstract: A boot or a boot add-on for walking on sand, mud, snow, marshes, or other soft material with moveable wings that open to increase the surface area which prevents sinking into the soft material.

Abstract: An athletic shoe adapted for field sports, such as football, baseball, softball and the like including a plurality of raised elements integral with and extending from the sole portion of the footwear is disclosed. A substantial majority of the raised elements are located in individual, spaced groups of interlocking raised elements and upon flexing of the sole portion during each step and repeated cycles of foot movement collected debris from between individual groups of raised elements and between the interlocking raised elements of each group will release and separate from the sole portion.

Abstract: A releasably attachable insulative covering for a skate shoe and comprising a covering panel adapted to envelop the skate shoe and fabricate it from thermally insulative material. The panel includes a toe covering portion, a heel covering portion, and an in-step covering portion therebetween, with flexible fastening means for releasably attaching the covering panel to the skate shoe. The flexible fastening means includes a plurality of mating interconnecting pairs of hooks and loops, and are mounted on the covering panel with one such mating pair being secured generally vertically along the rear portion of the panel to form a heel closure, and with another such mating pair being secured as cross-strap tab fasteners for coupling generally transversely across the undersurface of the arch portion of the skate shoe.

Abstract: The machine for splitting skins through their thickness to obtain two sheets, of which one is a flower sheet on the hairy side and the other a crust sheet on the flesh side, comprises the already known elements of annular endless band blade tensioned between continuously running wheels and upper and lower feed rollers, with the characteristic that the edge of the cutting blade at the cutting location always remains fixed in the same transverse position, except for takeup of wear due to cutting and sharpening, whereas the upper and lower feed rollers are displaced in the direction perpendicular to the blade and in the direction parallel to same, in order to adopt the correct positions for obtaining the desired thicknesses of said two parts of the skin, respecting the optimum conditions for removing the parts themselves from the cutting complex.

Abstract: An article of footwear has upper and lower parts, wherein the lower part or sole has a plurality of roller-shaped portions separated from a remaining portion by depression. Four roller-shaped portions may be provided in four corners of the article. Two roller-shaped portions may be provided in each corner.

Abstract: A sports boot or shoe, such as a soccer boot, has a stippled material secured to at least a portion of the outer surface of the upper of the boot or shoe, with the stippled surface of the material facing inwardly thereof. Preferably, the stippled surface of the material is bonded to a flexible substrate, such as, a foamed plastics material. The outwardly facing surface of the material can be substantially smooth or be provided with outwardly facing stipples. The stippled material, and optionally in combination with its flexible substrate, provides a friction pad which reduces the spin of a ball impacting therewith, as well as acting as a shock absorber to reduce the impact energy of a ball contacting the pad.

Abstract: In a machine for cement lasting side portions and the heel seat of shoes, the side portions are lasted by lasting rolls and the heel seat by wiper plates. For applying adhesive, each lasting roll has an associated nozzle which applies adhesive progressively in advance of its associated lasting roll. Furthermore, when the lasting rolls reach the point of termination of side lasting, they remain in pressing engagement with the shoe bottom, but their rotation is terminated, and in this condition the nozzles continue to apply adhesive in the heel seat region. This may be achieved by merely discharging adhesive from the stationary nozzles and allowing it to run into the heel seat, or alternatively the nozzles may track bodily into the heel seat. Thereafter, the lasting rolls and nozzles are retracted and heel seat wiping can take place. The invention may also be incorporated in a machine in which the whole of the shoe bottom is lasted.

Abstract: An athletic shoe constructed to inhibit ankle injuries is disclosed. The shoe is in the form of a "high cut" or ankle boot with a tensioning band anchored to the outside of the boot, along the sole, rearwardly of the transverse dorsal joint. In use, the band extends over the dorsal surface of the shoe to the inside of the ankle where it is fastened under tension.

Abstract: In an athletic shoe, a system for conveying air into the shoe in which an air reservoir in the resilient outsole assembly is open to a first transverse air channel which opens in turn to the surrounding air, a longitudinal air slot in the outsole assembly is open to the air reservoir, a first vertical hole in the top of the outsole assembly is open to the air slot and to a second vertical air hole in the insole board, the second vertical hole in turn is open to an air channel in the bottom of the slipsole, and the slipsole air channel is open to third vertical holes in the slipsole which open into the inside of the shoe under the user's foot; the air reservoir, air slot, first air holes and second air holes can lie on the midline of the sole assembly; and the slipsole air channels can be arranged in a grid covering the entire bottom of the slipsole with the first air holes, second air holes and third air holes arranged at the intersection points on the grid.

Abstract: A protector for the hand of a rider mounted on a bicycle or motorcycle is disclosed herein which is of semi-circular shape having an arcuate mid-section terminating at its opposite ends in retainers for detachably mounting onto the handlebar of the vehicle about the handgrips thereof. The retainer at one end is of the C-clamp variety having fasteners securing the clamp to the handlebar while the other retainer is an inwardly projection adapted to cooperate with the open bore terminating end of the handlebar to hold or retain the protector in position.

Abstract: Provision is made for enabling the support for the lasting rolls and/or adhesive applying nozzles to be moved initially either into a position in which the instrumentalities are aligned with the longitudinal center line of the machine or alternatively are offset therefrom, selectively according to the contour of the shoe bottom. Further, the support is moved from its initially selected position to the other position during the machine cycle, thereby, in the case of the lasting rolls, varying their position during the machine cycle according to the shoe bottom shape. In the case of the nozzles, on the other hand, once they have engaged the shoe bottom, they are released from any constraint of their widthwise movement and are thus free to follow the shoe bottom edge contour, regardless of the position of the support.

Abstract: The invention relates to an outsole for sports shoes, particularly for shoes used for long-distance running on hard tracks. The outsole consists of a soft elastically flexible material, preferably plastics material, and is thickened rearwardly in wedge formation. In the region of the heel tread surface of the outsole, there is provided a recess which is open towards both side edges of the sole and in which a resilient elongate supporting member is fittingly insertable. Preferably a plurality of supporting members are inserted in corresponding recesses adjacent one another. The supporting members are replaceable and permit the effective sole flexibility in the region of the heel tread surface to be adapted to the individual requirements of the runner and the track.

Abstract: A footwear such as shoes, boots, slippers etc., comprises a three-layered structure including an outer cover, an intermediate layer made of foamed urethane and an inner cover.The inner cover has a double-layered structure including first and second layer of fabric and the first and second layer are so combined as not only to show good absorption of the sweat emitted from the wearer's foot but also to keep the surface thereof held in contact to the foot dry.

Abstract: An attractive, sleek, comfortable, light weight ladies shoe includes a hard molded, polyurethane unitary body forming an elevated heel, a shank and an outer sole. The body has a load bearing upwardly directed face and a flange extending upwardly approximately at right angles to the face from the periphery of the outer sole and shank to the exclusion of the heel. A resilient foam polyurethane soft cushion layer having a thickness of approximately one-quarter inch and an upper face as well as a bottom face bears against the load bearing face of the body. A sheet of material covers the upper face of the cushion layer and is secured to the upper face of the body underneath of the cushion. An upper is secured in place between the upwardly directed face of the body and the bottom face of the cushion layer.

Abstract: A method of forming an article of footwear to fit a predetermined foot is provided by modifying the shape of such an article in which the foot is readily engageable by in-situ formation of a resilient foam moulding in the free space between the article and foot. The moulding is preferably reinforced to resist abrasion during subsequent use, and this suitably involves the location of a woven or knitted resilient sock on the foot for impregnation by the moulding material. Also the moulding can bond spontaneously to the article. The moulding is preferably permeable, and need not fill the free space between the foot and article, but can be restricted by suitable location of inserts. The method is particularly suited to situations where the foot is abnormal.