Abstract: A sports shoe (1) is provided with air chambers underneath a comparatively rigid outer shell (2) such that pressure in these air chambers, i.e., the compression on the foot, can be adjusted by a pump system (5, 6). The design of the pump system is simple, easy to manufacture, compact and operationally reliable due to the valves (14, 15) of the pump system being enclosed in a common housing part (13) separated by a partition (20) from the membrane pump chamber (11). The valves (14, 15) are mounted coaxially in tandem sequence. The evacuating valve (15) can also serve as the pump suction valve and is provided at an end (37) with a manually displaceable stem which, during evacuation of the air chamber, wil make contact with the valve stem (b 32) of the pump pressure valve (14).

Abstract: A flowable, pressure-compensating material, confined in an envelope, comprises a flowable, continuous-phase of oil having dispersed therein discrete hollow microbeads and a colloidal silica. The pressure-compensating material, which is flowable in response to continuously applied pressure, but is essentially non-flowable in the absence of pressure, is relatively insensitive to temperature variations.

Abstract: A shoe having an upper portion with a slit opening, through which an insert is placed or placeable into the shoe upper between its upper material and the lining portion, specifically intended for the purpose of rehabilitation, which shoe is designed such that it can be better adapted to various types of foot shapes.The shoe is intended to enable the plaster cast or other support cast, normally necessary in the healing process and employed for foot injuries or foot surgery, to be removed after a short time. This is achieved in preferred embodiments through use of at least one insert 6 of flexible material that has a plate-like configuration. At least one side of insert 6, and a facing inner surface of the shoe upper material coming into contact therewith, has a surface which provides that, at least between these two inner surfaces coming into contact, there is sufficient friction to cause insert 6 to be retained in place during the wearing of the shoe.

Abstract: An improved sports boot is provided for use by snow skiers and the like, wherein the boot includes an improved boot liner interposed between a substantially rigid outer boot shell and the foot and lower leg region of a skier. The boot liner is defined by flexible sheet material extending about selected anatomical zones of the skier's foot and lower leg region to define a plurality of relatively small chambers each of relatively low vertical dimension and partially filled with a metered quantity of substantially uniform sized particulate. The boot liner further includes a plurality of small vents for restricted air passage between adjacent chambers, with one of said chambers communicating with a main air discharge tube.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a ski boot with a device for securing the foot of the skier. The device has the peculiarity of comprising an minicompressor associated with the boot, which can be connected to an electrical power source and operated by controls to feed compressed fluid into an inflatable chamber which can draw close to the foot of the skier for the securing thereof in said boot.

Abstract: The invention relates to a ski boot in which an inner boot comprises two casing portions (1 and 2) which are clamped together by reduced pressure created in a vacuum chamber which includes bellows-like folds (6a and 6b) of a side connection between a rear tongue portion (2) of the casing and a shin-covering portion (1b) thereof.

Abstract: A canting adjustment for ski boots and a method of canting in which the ski boot contains a plurality of wedge shaped removable innersoles having generally equal and opposite wedge angles to allow a wide range of canting angles.

Abstract: A hydraulic regulated, space adjustment device for use within the interior of a footwear to adjust to specific space requirements of a foot as they vary during usage comprising a plurality of compartment which permits shifting of hydraulic fluid in response to forces applied to the footwear. The said device further comprises channels, flow regulating valves, and hydraulic fluid insertion means.

Abstract: A ski boot which creates a vacuum between the boot and user's foot, ankle and lower calf. The boot includes a rigid shell formed in sections which permit articulation, and padded liners are mounted within the shell. A flexible sheath secured to the shell forms an hermetical seal about the calf of the user. Means is provided for maintaining a partial vacuum within the boot. The partial vacuum causes both contraction of the boot shell and expansion of the foot to establish a close fit of the foot within the boot. The boot provides lateral stiffness while permitting forward flexing, and the close fit permits the user to achieve precise control during skiing.

Abstract: A shoe of the high-upper type is formed by two slippers of leather or like material and of different size. One slipper is engaged within the other, a metal former is placed within the inner slipper, and the assembly is placed within a mold comprising two halves and a bottom mold block corresponding to the outsole and provided with an injection sprue. The plastic injected through the sprue passes through an injection orifice in the bottom slipper sole, spreads within the internal space between the two slipper soles so as to form the insole, then passes downwards through holes located in uniformly spaced relation in the bottom slipper sole and spreads between the bottom sole and the mold block so as to form the outsole which is thus intimately bonded to the insole. At the same time, the injected plastic flows upwards within the internal space between the two slippers so as to form the upper of the shoe.

Abstract: The rear-entry ski boot disclosed herein includes a substantially rigid outer foot portion and a relatively movable leg portion, the foot portion having an inner lining with at least one inflatable air pocket interposed between the foot portion and the inner lining. A pump operable by bending movements of the leg portion is provided for inflating the air pocket.

Abstract: A ski boot provided with an air pack and a device for controlling the fastening force applied by the air pack on a skier's foot. It has an air pump connected to the air pack through a valve, a pressure sensor for sensing the air pressure in the air pack, a drive for the air pump, and a control circuit operative in response to the signal from the pressure sensor for controlling the valve and the drive for the air pump. A skier can adjust the fastening force easily to a desired value.

Abstract: A method of fitting ski boots to a skier by standing the skier in the boots on orthotics with the skier's feet ankles and legs unconfined by the boots, recording the relative lateral locations of the skier's knees and boots, repeating the process with the skier's feet supported on the orthotics and confined by the boots, and adjusting the boots to provide the same relative lateral locations of knee and boot.

Abstract: A footbed support for footwear comprises a laminate footbed custom formed to the shape of the wearer's foot from laminae of water-activated, polyurethane-impregnated fabric sheet material. The footbed is formed by placing the water-activated lamina on a resilient domed foot pad, then placing the foot in a predetermined position on the pad over the laminae so that the longitudinal arch of the foot overlies a portion of the dome corresponding to the height of the longitudinal arch and shape of the sole of the foot. The foot is then weighted to form an impression in the laminate, and the laminate allowed to partially cure before the foot is removed. Before final placement of the foot on the pad, the laminae are cut to differential lengths and widths if desired to provide a desired differential flexibility, rigidity, and thickness in different areas of the cured laminate footbed.

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 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. The system is also provided with a blank holding assembly for holding the blanks in lateral alignment with the impressions, a blank shaping mechanism for successively sensing each impression and for concomitantly successively cutting material away from each blank in conformance with the corresponding sensed impression, and a drive mechanism for automatically driving the blank shaping mechanism both laterally and to-and-fro over the impressions and the blanks in response to a single drive motor so as to automatically form the custom-made shoe inserts from the blanks in conformance with the impressions.

Abstract: A sandal is provided with an inside arch and ankle stabilizing flange which forms an integral part of a one-piece molded bottom without a separate inner sole. The flange is smoothly curved and extends upward along the arch side for a longitudinal length from a point adjacent the side of the ankle stabilizes the ankle joint by preventing it from rolling inward toward the walking surface thereby providing an unusually high degree of security for an open shoe. The footbed of the molded bottom conforms to the plantar surface of the normal foot while walking or at rest. Both the bottom footbed and the upper pattern including the inner longitudinal arch flange are designed to allow for the anatomical and functional differences between the inside and outside longitudinal arch areas of the normal foot, and act to discourage the tipping of the ankle toward the inside of the foot, resulting in pronation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a padding allowing an article of clothing or an accessory to be adapted closely to a part of the human body.This padding is constituted by a thermo-formable plastic foam 2 placed in a non-extensible covering 1 and making an open cavity intended to receive the part of the body, but of which the dimensions are generally smaller than this part of the body. The housing is thus formed by the reciprocal compression of the foam and of the part of the body placed in the cavity while the temperature of the foam is brought to the thermo-forming temperature.This invention can be used for adapting boots, helmets, gloves, swimming flippers, etc.

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.

Abstract: A slipper for a ski boot produced by injection of a foam mixture of plastic material between the walls of two socks placed upon a form set in a mold, the outer of the two socks comprising a very thin, extensible sheet having the same dimensions as the inner sock when the two are in unstressed condition.

Abstract: An isothermic protective boot designed particularly for patients with arterial disease. The boot has a complete inner lining and outer cover of a soft, non-allergenic material, a double layer of a soft, flexible, compressible isothermic protective material between the outer cover and inner lining, and a body of flexible, compressible weight-bearing material at the back of the boot in a position to extend along the heel cord and lower aspect of the calf of the patient's leg.

Abstract: A pliable inner boot for insertion within a rigid outer shell of a ski boot is formed of resinous foam material. The inner boot is bifurcated at the front, and is provided with recesses in the vicinity of the shin region and preferably at the heel pocket. These recesses soften the feel of the inner boot at the shin and ankle regions when it is compressed by closure of the rigid outer shell.A pliable custom fitting reservoir (fit pack) is interposed between the rigid outer shell and the inner surface of the inner boot in the vicinity of the heel pocket and the instep portions of the inner boot. This reservoir may be either integral with or separate from the inner boot. It may include a conduit adapted to receive a liquid resin reaction mixture from a source remote from the ski boot. Alternatively, the fit pack may contain isolated components of a reaction mixture which are mixed by kneading just prior to use.

Abstract: Viscous, flowable, pressure-compensating fitting materials or compositions having low density, sturdy, glass microbeads distributed therein, which are suitable for a variety of uses and applications, including, but not limited to, fitting pads for footwear, cushioning structures, medical devices, hand grips, or the like.

Abstract: A dynamic device for holding the foot and the leg in position in a rigid structure consisting of shells or fastening elements, wherein there is at least a pump operated by the motions of the leg which is associated with at least an element for adjusting the pressure, with at least a valve and an assembly of fluid-chocks, the whole participating to the immobilization of the foot and the leg in the rigid structure.

Abstract: Viscous, flowable, pressure-compensating fitting materials or compositions having low density, sturdy, glass microbeads and lightweight, sturdy resinous microbeads substantially uniformly distributed therein, which are suitable for a variety of uses and applications, including, but not limited to, fitting pads for footwear or the like.

Abstract: A kicking shoe is disclosed which comprises wedging means in the toe box for maintaining the toes of a wearer in an upwardly flexed position. The resulting forward flexure of the toes facilitates "locking" of the wearer's ankle, and causes kicking force to be transmitted to a ball through the heads of the metatarsal bones of the foot rather than through the toes. Accordingly, the accuracy and distance of kicking are significantly improved by use of the shoe.

Abstract: A ski boot comprising an external shell and a rigid sole, a slipper producing at least one cavity between the shell and the foot. The method of adjustment consists in filling the cavity with a moldable mixture of products kept in a viscous or paste-like state by means of at least one volatile product, and then eliminating at least one of the volatile products by causing it to pass into a gaseous phase until the mixture of products hardens. The invention has the particular advantage of making it possible to adjust the ski boot to a skier's foot without risk of compressing it in a dangerous manner.

Abstract: Methods involving the use of high frequency heating means and temperature-compensating means to expand hollow, thermoplastic resinous microbeads in a controllable manner. The heat-expanded microbeads are suitable for use, for example, in providing viscous, flowable, pressure-compensating fitting materials or compositions.

Abstract: Preformed fitting pads are disclosed having a protective envelope enclosure with flowable fitting material retained therein. The enclosure is shaped and constructed to provide therein communicating reservoir and primary fitting sections constructed in operative relationship to each other, so as to selectively provide for, as desired, the deliberate transfer of flowable fitting material from or to a reservoir section or a primary fitting section, and to selectively maintain, as desired, a controllable or predetermined volume of fitting material in a primary fitting section, all without requiring that fitting material be introduced into the pad from an external source of supply or be removed from the confines of the pad. The fitting material confined in said primary fitting section provides desirable pressure-compensating support when and where needed.