Abstract: A skate blade retention system comprising a trigger including a user interface and a rotor positioned adjacent to the trigger. The rotor comprises a rotor rotating portion rotatable about a central axis and comprising a rigid protrusion, a rotor mounting portion, and at least one biasing element coupled to the rotor mounting portion. The at least one biasing element is biased to cause rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in a first rotational direction. A first translation of the trigger towards the rotor causes a first rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in a second rotational direction opposite the first rotational direction. The at least one biasing element causes (i) a second rotation of the rotor rotating portion about the central axis in the first rotational direction, and (ii) a second translation of the trigger away from the rotor.

Abstract: An article of footwear for use in ice skating comprising a boot shell structured to accommodate a wearer's foot and having a medial forefoot portion, a lateral forefoot portion, a medial quarter/midfoot portion, a lateral quarter/midfoot portion, a sole portion, a lateral ankle portion, a medial ankle portion, and a heel portion, the boot shell further including a cuff/tendon guard attached to the boot shell or to a flexible rail portion attached to the heel portion of the boot shell. An article of footwear for use in ice skating including a removable liner disposed in a boot shell and a plate reinforcement portion attached to the removable liner to provide lateral stiffness. An article of footwear for use in ice skating including at least one compressible structure disposed in a boot shell.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a portion of a boot shell for an ice skate that includes preparing a monolithic, two-dimensional pattern of the boot shell; positioning the monolithic, two-dimensional pattern into a three-dimensional preform of the boot shell; installing the three-dimensional preform in a mold; and consolidating the three-dimensional preform in the mold to produce the portion of the boot shell. An article of footwear for use in ice skating comprising a boot shell structured and arranged to accommodate a wearer's foot and having a medial forefoot portion, a lateral forefoot portion, a sole portion, a lateral ankle portion, a medial ankle portion, and a heel portion, the boot shell further comprising (i) a first thermoformable material having a softening point between 40° C. and 100° C., and (ii) a plurality of fibers, at least one of adjacent to or integrated within the first thermoformable material.