Abstract: Sport boots have an outer shell and an ankle compression system attached to and positioned within the outer shell to apply selective compressive force against an anterior ankle portion of a person's foot when wearing the boot. The ankle compression system includes an ankle compression member positioned forwardly adjacent to the anterior ankle portion and at least one medial positioning band having a lower terminal end immovably fixed to a medial edge portion of the strobel and having an opposite end operatively associated with the ankle compression member. An adjustment lace is connected to the ankle compression member and is operatively connected to a tightening member positioned on a lateral side of the outer shell so that operation of the tightening causes the adjustment lace to forcibly draw the ankle compression member toward and exert a selective compressive force against the anterior ankle portion of the person's foot.

Abstract: A tensioning system for articles of footwear and articles of apparel is disclosed. The tensioning system includes a tensioning member that is tightened or loosened using a motorized tensioning device for winding and unwinding the tensioning member on a spool. The tensioning system may be used with various sensors to determine how the motorized tensioning device should be controlled.

Abstract: Assembly methods related to an automated footwear platform including a lacing engine drive apparatus are discussed. In an example, an assembly method can include operations such as inserting a mid-sole plate, attaching a laced upper portion, and inserting a lacing engine. The inserting a mid-sole plate operation can include inserting the mid-sole plate into a mid-sole of the footwear platform. The attaching a laced upper portion operation can include attaching a laced upper portion to the mid-sole and positioning a lace loop in the mid-sole plate. Finally, the inserting a lacing engine operation can include inserting a lacing engine into a cavity in the mid-sole plate, wherein the lacing engine includes a lace spool exposed along a superior surface to receive the lace loop.

Abstract: An article of footwear may include a motorized tensioning system. The tensioning system may include a tensile member and a motorized tightening device configured to apply tension in the tensile member to adjust the size of an internal void defined by the article of footwear. The tensioning system may further include a power source configured to supply power to the motorized tightening device. The tensile member, the motorized tightening device, and the power source may be configured to be removably attached to the article of footwear.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes an intermediate covering portion with an adjustable volume. The intermediate covering portion is closed around the instep of the foot. The article also includes a tensioning system that can be used to change the volume of the intermediate covering portion. The tensioning system includes a tension balancing member to balance loads across different portions of the intermediate covering portion.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper with a forward covering portion and a rearward covering portion. The rearward covering portion can be adjusted between an open configuration for receiving a foot and a closed configuration for covering the foot. In the open configuration the rearward covering portion is approximately flat, while in the closed configuration the rearward covering portion has a three-dimensional shape. The rearward covering portion may be folded vertically between the open configuration and the closed configuration. A tensioning member can be used to control the configuration of the rearward covering portion.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes a motorized tensioning system, sensors, and a gesture control system. Based on information received from one or more sensors the gesture control system may detect a prompting gesture and enters an armed mode for receiving further instructions. In the armed mode the system may detect a variety of different control gestures that correspond to different tensioning commands.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes an upper defining an interior void and a first cable movable in a tightening direction to move the upper into a tightened state and movable in a loosening direction to move the upper into a loosened state. The article of footwear also includes a tightening grip operable to be moved away from the upper in a first direction to move the first cable in the tightening direction and a cable lock operable in a locked state to restrict movement of the first cable in the loosening direction and operable in an unlocked state to permit movement of the first cable in the loosening direction. A release grip is operable to be moved away from the upper in a second direction to move the cable lock from the locked state to the unlocked state, whereby the release grip is separate from the tightening grip.

Abstract: Some embodiments disclosed herein provide systems, methods, and apparatus relating to a touring snowboard binding comprising an adjustable lateral leverage device. In some embodiments, the adjustable lateral leverage device may comprise at least one first attachment generally at a top corner of a highback of a touring snowboard boot and at least one second attachment generally at an ankle portion of the binding. The adjustable tensioning element may extend generally diagonally between the at least one first attachment and the at least one second attachment such that when the tension in the adjustable lateral leverage device is increased the lateral support to the boot is increased proportionally and when the tension in the adjustable lateral leverage device is decreased the lateral support to the boot is decreased proportionally. Some embodiments also provide a touring snowboard boot comprising an adjustable leverage device.

Abstract: An article of footwear with various types of guide elements is disclosed. The article of footwear provides a set of tensile elements that can be moved through the guide elements to switch between a loosened and tightened position of the upper. The tensile elements may be routed through a guide element associated with the upper that can provide compressive strength and support.

Abstract: An article of footwear includes an intermediate covering portion with an adjustable volume. The intermediate covering portion is closed around the instep of the foot. The article also includes a tensioning system that can be used to change the volume of the intermediate covering portion.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides footwear construction that includes a foot securing mechanism that provides improved fit without resulting in footwear that is substantially more difficult or time consuming to put on and take off. In one embodiment the footwear is a slip-on boot having both an instep hold down system and a heel retaining system. In the depicted embodiment both systems can be activated by a single mechanism exposed on the outside of the boot. Related methods and additional embodiment are also provided.

Abstract: A surgical boot includes a shell shaped to receive a patient's foot and a main strap assembly. The main strap assembly includes at least two straps that secure a patient's foot in the shell and that are pulled downwardly by a tensioner unit located behind the shell to tighten a patient's foot with the shell.

Abstract: A tightening shoe is provided with a sole, an upper and crisscrossing laces. The lace ends project into the shoe structure where they are received by a tightening mechanism. The tightening mechanism includes a winding gear for winding the lace ends about its perimeter to withdraw the laces into the tightening mechanism's interior chamber. In addition, the tightening mechanism includes a drive gear which is rotated by a pre-wound tightening cable which is positioned immediately adjacent to the winding gear. Preferably, the winding gear and drive gear are positioned within the shoe's sole so as to rotate about a vertical axis relative to the shoe's structure.

Abstract: A shoelace reel includes a support seat, a spool rotatably mounted in the support seat, a shoelace having two distal ends each secured to the winding zone of the spool, a limit sleeve mounted on the support seat, a drive member rotatably and movably mounted in the limit sleeve, and a control knob rotatably and movably mounted on the limit sleeve and connected to the drive member. Thus, the user only needs to rotate the control knob to tighten the shoelace and to pull out the control knob to loosen the shoelace. In addition, the user only needs to operate the control knob to tighten or loosen the shoelace, so that the user can tighten or loosen the shoelace by his one hand only.

Abstract: A boot including a sole and an upper, the boot extending lengthwise from a heel to a front end, widthwise between a lateral portion and a medial portion, and height-wise from the sole to an upper end. The boot includes a reinforcement that is more rigid than the upper, at least in the region of the instep, the reinforcement including a lateral wall and/or a medial wall, and extending beneath the instep, the boot further including a transverse linkage provided to tighten the instep zone, the linkage extending from the lateral portion to the medial portion in a transverse plane of the boot.

Abstract: A ski boot is provided that includes an outer shell, an inner liner disposed within the outer shell and a functional shoe insertable into and removable from the inner liner by means of a rearforward to forward manner.

Abstract: An automated tightening shoe is provided where a tightening mechanism operates to cause automatic tightening of the shoe laces about a wearer's foot and which releases the laces to allow loosening of the shoe. The shoe laces travel to the interior of the tightening mechanism located at the heel whereat the laces are operatively associated in a tightening or a loosening direction with the tightening mechanism. The tightening shoe further has a locking mechanism for locking said at least one lace in a tightened condition and a release mechanism for unlocking the locking mechanism and releasing the shoe laces. The release mechanism includes a lever arm which projects rearwardly from the rear of said shoe. Depression upon the lever arm causes the locking mechanism to unlock and release the shoe laces from being in a tightened condition.

Abstract: A three point step-in snowboard binding includes medial and lateral binding pin engagers that interact with corresponding pins in a boot. The binding latches the boot after the snowboarder steps into the binding, and remains latched until a release control is actuated.

Abstract: An automated tightening shoe with crisscrossed laces and a tightening mechanism which operates in one direction to cause automatic tightening of the crisscrossed laces to tighten the shoe about a wearer's foot, and which can be released easily so that the shoe can be removed from the wearer's foot.

Abstract: An automated tightening shoe with crisscrossed laces and a tightening mechanism which operates in one direction to cause automatic tightening of the crisscrossed laces to tighten the shoe about a wearer's foot, and which can be released easily so that the shoe can be removed from the wearer's foot.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a boot having a forward lean system is provided that includes medial and lateral side cable members on the boot wherein the cable members are attached to a forward portion of the boot at only one general position. The forward lean system also includes a tension adjustment member connected to the cable members for altering the length of the cable member, thereby providing adjustable forward lean.

Abstract: An automated tightening shoe with crisscrossed laces and a tightening mechanism which operates in one direction to cause automatic tightening of the crisscrossed laces to tighten the shoe about a wearer's foot, and which can be released easily so that the shoe can be removed from the wearer's foot.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a shoe and preferably according to the preferred embodiments to a self-closing mechanism within the shoe. The shoe optionally has an inbuilt mechanical fastening system which operates via insertion of the foot into the shoe which depresses an embedded releasing mechanism in the shoe which pulls closed the fastening-cords of the shoe top tightly around the wearer's foot. Subsequently a lever operated by the companion shoe situated on the back of the shoe body acts as a loosening mechanism enabling removal of the shoe from the wearer's foot.

Abstract: A snowboard boot for use with a snowboard boot strap that is attachable thereto. In one aspect, the boot comprises a foot-shaped outer surface; and a strap mounting member that includes an attachment feature adapted to mount a portion of the strap to the snowboard boot the strap mounting member including a raised portion that protrudes beyond the foot-shaped outer surface of the boot, the raised portion including the attachment feature. In another aspect, the snowboard boot includes a boot upper having an outer surface, a sole, and an adjustable strap that is mounted to the outer surface of the boot upper, the strap being adjustable so that the strap can be selectively tightened and loosened over the outer surface of the boot upper. The outer surface of the boot upper is formed from at least first and second materials, the first material having a lower coefficient of friction than the second material, the first material being disposed to underlie a portion of the strap that is movable to tighten the strap.